Credits: Social Media
‘Six hours of sleep’ is the most dangerous length, according to expert
If youre one of those people who boast about only needing a few hours of sleep a night, then you might be interested to know that it could create issues for you further down the line.
You need your eight hours, is a phrase we all hear from our parents growing up. As kids, we listen. As teenagers, nothing can stop us and we spend all night on social media. But as adults, eight hours just doesnt seem enough. Seriously, is it bedtime yet?
The expert weighs in on sleep length
No matter what productivity gurus tell you, the human body needs rest. You dont need, nor should you be, doing something every single hour of the day to achieve maximum success. Just look at Oprah, who gets eight hours of sleep, compared to Donald Trump who gets around three.
A lot of research has also gone into identifying the best sleep practices to maximise both rest and happiness. The science, conclusively, all points to around seven to eight hours.
Still, there are a lot of us who are guilty of surviving on six or less. But as argued by Professor Matthew Walker, this could be disastrous for your health. Walker is based at the University of California, Berkeley, where he focuses on the impact of sleep on human health.
Back in 2018, Professor Walker appeared on Joe Rogans controversial podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, to talk about sleep and all of its many complexities.
He explained at the time: “It’s a sort of like sleep machismo, this sort of attitude. Men who sleep five to six hours a night will have a level of testosterone which is that of someone 10 years their senior.
“So a lack of sleep will age you by a decade in terms of that critical aspect of wellness, virility, muscle strength and sexual performance, he added. “The number of people who can survive on six hours of sleep or less without showing any impairment rounded to a whole number and expressed as a percent of the population is zero.”
What does the science say?
Despite what some people would lead you to believe, the human body needs a set amount of rest to function properly.
As stated by the Mayo Clinic: For adults, getting less than seven hours of sleep a night on a regular basis has been linked with poor health, including weight gain, having a body mass index of 30 or higher, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression.
Similarly, the Sleep Foundation said that six hours of sleep could impact mental health and clarity, physical health, immune system function, appetite regulation, and cell and tissue repair.
So, you’ve read it here. Put that phone down, turn on some whale noises and get some much-needed shut-eye.
