Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

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A run of poor sleep can have a dramatic effect on the internal workings of the human body, say UK researchers.

The activity of hundreds of genes was altered when people's sleep was cut to less than six hours a day for a week.

Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers said the results helped explain how poor sleep damaged health.

Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and poor brain function have all been linked to substandard sleep.

What missing hours in bed actually does to alter health, however, is unknown.

So researchers at the University of Surrey analysed the blood of 26 people after they had had plenty of sleep, up to 10 hours each night for a week, and compared the results with samples after a week of fewer than six hours a night.

More than 700 genes were altered by the shift. Each contains the instructions for building a protein, so those that became more active produced more proteins - changing the chemistry of the body.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21572686

[CrimsonKing]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...health-21572686

Im in trouble then i guess!Though my heart is in great shape,not diabetic,far from obese,and my brain seems to function ok every now and then haha.

I usually sleep the max of 4 or less hours a night believe me it sucks!Even 2 years ago i slept about 8 hours a night but that has all changed.The body is versatile and can adapt when needed.

[Frank Merton]

I use to be kinda like that -- I would sleep for a few hours and then wake up, end of story. The doctor gave me a prescription for an out-of-patent and cheap drug that serves to preserve serotonin (interfere with its destruction) and since then I've been fine. I went off the pills several years ago and the problem appears solved. I think you might want to ask.

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Im in trouble then i guess!Though my heart is in great shape,not diabetic,far from obese,and my brain seems to function ok every now and then haha.

I usually sleep the max of 4 or less hours a night believe me it sucks!Even 2 years ago i slept about 8 hours a night but that has all changed.The body is versatile and can adapt when needed.

Well i do think the article can't speak in general. Sleep needs differ from person to person. Perhaps you're a person that functions better with less sleep during this stage of your life. Perhaps that will change, perhaps not.

I do believe in the notion that the body would send signals if it doesn't agree. Does it send signals when it's already too late? Not sure.

[CrimsonKing]

I use to be kinda like that -- I would sleep for a few hours and then wake up, end of story. The doctor gave me a prescription for an out-of-patent and cheap drug that serves to preserve serotonin (interfere with its destruction) and since then I've been fine. I went off the pills several years ago and the problem appears solved. I think you might want to ask.

No unfortunately my problem is medically related nothing has helped at all.I have tried,my best bet is just pushing my body to complete exhaustion.It is the only way that works at all for me anymore.Since i blew my knee out last week i have slept even less very annoying!

[Moon Gazer]

I think there is probably some truth in it, but rather than a fixed number of hours (like 10) it's different for different people? And getting less than the optimum for that person could dramatically alter the body?

I know for me personally, I function absolutely great on between 6 and 7.5 hours a night. When my kids were babies and I was getting less than 6 (and broken sleep at that) I genuinely felt ill for a while. But likewise, on the few ocassions where I sleep 9 or 10 hours, I also feel horrible. I feel head-achey and lethargic.