If you eat well and exercise regularly, but don’t sleep at least seven hours each night, it may ruin all your other efforts to improve your health. Get enough sleep, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.
The American Sleep Foundation recommends a certain number of hours of sleep depending on the age group as follows:
Adults over 65 years of age need 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
Adults from 26 to 64 years: 7 to 9 hours.
Young adults, 18 to 25 years: 7 to 9 hours.
Adolescents, 14 to 17 years: 8 to 10 hours.
School-age children, 6 to 13 years: 9 to 11 hours.
Preschool children, 3 to 5 years old: 10 to 13 hours.
Young children, 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours.
Infants, 4 to 11 months: 12 to 15 hours.
Newborns, 0 to 3 months: 14 to 17 hours.
Doctors also found evidence that genetic, behavioral and environmental factors help determine how much sleep you need for optimal health and daily functioning.
Dr. Dreyrup advises that getting at least seven hours of sleep is a step in the right direction to improve your health.
What happens when you don’t get enough sleep?
Short sleep has a negative impact on your health in many ways:
Short-term problems can include:
Lack of alertness, even missing less than 1.5 hours of sleep, can have an effect on how you feel.
–Excessive sleepiness during the day It can make you feel very sleepy and tired during the day.
-Poor memory. Lack of sleep can affect your ability to think, remember, and process information.
It can make you feel moody and you can become more prone to conflicts with others.
You may be less likely to participate in normal daily activities or exercise.
A greater likelihood of car accidents. Sleepy driving causes thousands of accidents, injuries, and deaths every year.
If you continue to work without enough sleep, you may see more serious and long-term health problems. Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure or stroke.
Other potential problems include obesity, depression, and decreased immune system function.
Chronic sleep deprivation can affect your appearance over time, which can lead to premature wrinkles and dark circles under your eyes.
There is also a link between poor sleep and an increased amount of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. Cortisol can break down collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth.