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Last Updated: Jan 10, 2023
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6 Hours Of Sleep - Why Is It Same As No Sleep?

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Dr. Umesh AlegaonkarGeneral Physician • 30 Years Exp.MD - General Medicine, MBBS
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Your body is in constant motion and at night, it needs rest to rejuvenate and get itself all prepped for the next day. Getting adequate rest will improve your skin’s health and keep you youthful. The level of testosterone, insulin secretion, cell division and performance in athletics all get managed by a good night’s sound sleep. Besides these, your motor skills and cognition improve as well.

Some people say that six hours of sleep is enough for them to function well. But this is merely a myth. Those who sleep for six hours are not even aware how tired they are in fact. Thus, anything less than eight hours is not good for your body. You need the adequate sleep for your body to get rejuvenated for action the following day. Less sleep and you might end up feeling sluggish the entire day, with absolutely no energy reserves left.

Sleep deprivation can lead to:
1. Fatigue, absence of motivation and increased lethargy
2. Irritation and mood swings
3. Lack of creativity and rational thought to solve problems
4. Inability to deal with stress
5. Loss of immunity which leads to frequent infections and colds

6. Memory and concentration problems
7. Sudden weight gain
8. Insufficient motor skills that lead to accidents
9. Decision making difficulties
10. Risk of diabetes, heart conditions and other medical problems

Then there are two hormones that govern your appetite, ghrelin and leptin. The hormone “ghrelin” controls the appetite and “leptin” signals the brain when you are full. When you sleep lesser than eight hours, the level of “ghrelin” goes up and “leptin” levels come down. This makes you eat more and you don’t even realize when you are full. This way, you just end up gaining a lot of weight.

Fatigue ends up severely affecting your motor and cognitive skills. You feel disoriented and edgy. Here are some things you can do to sleep better:
1. Stick to regular sleep schedules
2. Avoid looking at computer and other electronic video screens for a long time at night; because the glare disrupts your sleep schedules.
3. Keep your room dark and quite for a cosy sleep

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