New Delhi, November 16 (IANS). Today, doctors and scientists all over the world agree that lack of sleep has gradually become a “silent health crisis”. Earlier, sleep was considered a rest or a habit, but now research shows that less sleep has a direct impact on the brain, heart, immune system and mental health.
America’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has called it an emerging public health problem. According to their report, almost one in three adults is not able to get enough sleep every day. A large survey conducted in India found that this problem has increased most in the youth group, where late night use of phone, overwork, stress and irregular routine have become the biggest enemies of sleep.
The effect of less sleep on the brain has been clearly seen in many studies. A study by the University of California, Berkeley showed that even one night of poor sleep can reduce memory, decision-making ability and learning speed by 40 percent. Scientists also say that with less sleep, those parts of the brain become active that increase anxiety and fear, due to which the person starts feeling stressed even over small things. This is the reason why the risk of anxiety and depression has been found to be double in people with lack of sleep.
It has also had serious consequences on the heart and body. Research from Harvard Medical School shows that people who sleep less than 5 hours have a 30–40 percent increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Lack of sleep increases inflammation in the body, which can disturb blood pressure and sugar levels. Many doctors say that lack of sleep also increases obesity, because when you sleep late, the hunger-inducing hormone “ghrelin” increases and the body mistakenly starts feeling the need for calories. This is the reason why people who sleep less eat more junk food at night.
Lack of sleep is almost an epidemic among teenagers and youth. A study published in The Lancet reported that social media, staying active late at night, and blue light from screens in adolescents reduce sleep by 60–90 minutes. A recent study conducted in India found that more than 70 percent of students use mobile phones late at night, which seriously impacts their sleep cycle. This habit further causes mental fatigue, irritability, low concentration and decline in academic performance.
–IANS
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