What difference could an extra hour of sleep make in your life? Maybe a lot, experts say. Studies show that the gap between just enough sleep and too little sleep can affect your health, your mood, your weight and even your sex life.
If you get less than the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep per night, here are nine reasons to turn off your computer, turn off the light, and go to bed an hour earlier.
Better health.
A good night's rest will not give you immunity against diseases. But research after research has found a link between insufficient sleep and some serious health problems, such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes and obesity.
In most cases, the health risks of sleep loss only become serious after years. That may not always be true. One study simulated the effects of the disrupted sleep patterns of shift workers on 10 young healthy adults. After only four days, three of them had blood glucose levels that qualified as pre-diabetic.
Better sex life.
According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 26% of people say that their sex life tends to suffer because they are just too tired. There is evidence that in men sleep disorders may be associated with lower testosterone levels - although the exact nature of the link is not clear.
Of course, not getting enough sleep can also affect your love life in less direct ways. "If you are a 28-year-old who is so exhausted that you fall asleep during a date in the cinema, that is not good," says Ronald Kramer, MD, spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a specialist in Colorado. Sleep Disorders Center in Englewood, Colo.
Less pain.
If you have chronic pain - or acute pain from a recent injury - enough sleep can hurt you less. Many studies have shown a link between sleep loss and lower pain threshold. Unfortunately, suffering pain can make it difficult to sleep.
Researchers have discovered that getting a good night's sleep can supplement medication for pain. If the pain keeps you awake at night, medications are also available that combine a painkiller with a sedative.
Less chance of injury.
If you sleep well, you may be safer. Sleep deprivation has been linked to many notorious disasters, such as the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger and the grounding of the Exxon Valdez. The Institute of Medicine estimates that one in five car accidents in the US are the result of sleepy driving - about 1 million crashes per year.
Of course, any kind of accident is more likely when you're exhausted, says Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, a professor of psychology at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia and author of Sleep Deprived No More. "If you are tired, you stumble faster or fall off a ladder or cut yourself while chopping vegetables," she says. "Such a house accident can have serious consequences."
Better atmosphere.
Enough sleep is no guarantee for a sunny character. But you've probably already noticed that if you're exhausted, you're rather grumpy. That is not all. "Not getting enough sleep influences your emotional regulation," says Mindell. "If you are over-tired, you are more likely to beat your boss, or burst into tears, or start laughing uncontrollably."
Better weight control.
If you sleep well, you can maintain your weight - and conversely sleep loss is associated with an increased risk of weight gain. Why? Part of the problem is behavioral. If you are tired, you are less likely to have the energy to go jogging or prepare a healthy dinner after work.
The other part is physiological. The hormone leptin plays a key role in the feeling that you feel satiated. If you do not sleep enough, the leptin levels decrease. Result: people who are tired are just hungrier - and they seem to be especially hungry for foods with a lot of fat and high-calorie food.
Think more clearly.
Have you ever woken up after a bad night's sleep, feeling blurry and easily confused, as if your brain can not get out of first gear?
"Sleep loss affects the way you think," Mindell told WebMD. "It damages your cognition, your attention and your decision-making." Research has shown that people who have lack of sleep are significantly worse at solving logic or math problems than when they are well equipped. "They also make strange mistakes more often, for example by accidentally leaving their keys in the fridge", she tells WebMD.
Better memory.
Are you forgetful? Sleep loss can be the fault. Studies have shown that while we sleep, our brains process and consolidate our memories of the day. If you do not get enough sleep, it seems that these reminders may not be stored correctly - and may be lost.
What's more, some studies suggest that sleep reduces the chance that false memories arise. In various experiments people were asked to view a series of words. Later they were tested on what they remembered. People who did not sleep in between had a much greater chance of 'remembering' a word they had never seen before.
Stronger immunity.
Can having a bad sleep prevent the cold? A preliminary study put the idea to the test. Researchers followed more than 150 people and followed their sleep habits for two weeks. Then they exposed them to a cold virus.
People who got seven hours of sleep per night or less were almost three times more likely to get sick than those who had at least eight hours of sleep per night. More research is needed to establish a real link; this study was small and other factors may have affected the results. Yet it can not go wrong to get eight hours of sleep when possible.