Rob Hobson - The Art of Sleeping

44 in every part of the body, which promotes the growth and repair of tissues, cells and organs. Most of us are familiar with the short-term effects of not getting enough sleep, when we experience fluctuations in mood, concentration and alertness, and our ability to recall memories, our creativity and decision-making are also affected. All of these can filter through into many areas of everyday life, such as relationships and work. But it’s the long- term effects of poor sleep that will really give you nightmares. DIABETES Research published in the journal Sleep Medicine Clinics found that insufficient sleep could put you at a greater risk of type 2 diabetes by affecting the way your body uses glucose, the carbohydrate fuel that energizes cells. e study showed that when healthy subjects had their sleep cut in half from eight to four hours per night, they processed glucose more slowly than when they slept for twelve hours. It’s a finding that is reflected in many other studies of a similar nature.

45 HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE Inadequate sleep can also cause elevated blood pressure, even when this happens over minor periods of time. A study carried out by the University of Alabama found that a single night of inadequate sleep in people who already have high blood pressure can cause elevated levels the following day. As high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, this contributes to the correlation between poor sleep and heart disease. MENTAL HEALTH Your mental health can also be affected by lack of sleep. Given the effect a sleepless night can have on your mood and concentration, it’s not too much of a leap to think that chronic sleep deprivation may result in more serious mood disorders. Already there is lots of well-documented research showing an association between chronic sleep issues and depression, anxiety and mental distress. In one study carried out by University College London, subjects who slept only four hours per night showed declining levels of optimism and sociability following repeated days of inadequate sleep. In a similar study, subjects with less than four hours’ sleep reported feeling sadder, stressed, angry and

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