This Washington Post article reviews the numerous recent findings connecting lack of sleep to poorer health.
Increases Risk of Many Diseases
Research has shown that insufficient sleep can increase the risk of:
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity
The last is in part indicated by a large new study. An analysis of a sample of almost 10,000 adults showed that those between the ages of 32 and 49 who sleep under seven hours a night are much more likely to be obese.
Disrupts Hormones and Proteins
Other studies have shown that insufficient or irregular sleep increases the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer, as well as heart disease and diabetes. This may be the result of sleep disruption affecting vital hormones and proteins.
A sleep deficit may put your body into a state of high alert, increasing stress hormones and driving up blood pressure.
Lack of sleep may also decrease melatonin in your body, which fights cancer, and it increases blood levels of substances that indicate a heightened state of inflammation, which is a risk factor for many illnesses. In addition, sleep affects the functioning of blood vessel lining.
Trouble With Blood Sugar
Even mild sleep deprivation disrupts the levels of the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which regulate appetite. Sleep-deprived people tend to have problems regulating their blood sugar, putting them at an increased risk for diabetes.
