A good nap a day plays an important role in refreshing the body and soul, but what happens when you sleep for only 4 hours? While health experts recommend different hours of sleep for various age groups, there are those who spend only a handful of hours of sleep. This is occasioned by either work or leisure activities. People get different hours of sleep every single day and there are those who enjoy sleeping for several hours. The driving factors contributing to some sleeping for less than 4 hours or more hours are also different among individuals. READ ALSO: How Sleep Duration Affects Your Mental and Physical Health
What happens when you sleep for 4 hours?
While you may consider it a lifestyle masterstroke, especially if you are a workaholic, medical experts do not recommend less sleep. The ideal hours of sleep for an adult should be about 7 to 8 hours. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most adults need about 7 hours of sleep.
Researchers at the centre argue that sleep is not a luxury but a necessity that is vital for anyone who wants to stay healthy. Medical experts opine that failing to get the recommended amount of sleep over a long period of time may result in several health implications. We present you with some of the health complications medical experts say you are likely to struggle with if you fail to get enough sleep over time.
Obesity
Every day you fail to get enough sleep is another step closer to obesity. Sleeping for 4 hours means that you have not met the recommended hours of sleep. Researchers say that poor sleeping patterns including not getting enough sleep can result in an increase in body mass. You will also gain weight and increase your chances of becoming obese.
According to research by the European Society of Cardiology seeking to establish how less sleep affects adolescents established that those who got less sleep gained weight. This included having excess fat around the middle of their body. So if you do not want to become obese, do not make it a habit to sleep for 4 hours or less.
Increased risk of premature death
Not having enough sleep increases your chances of experiencing premature death once it becomes a long-term habit. Premature death is one of the long-term effects of sleeping for 4 hours. Several researches indicate that sleeping only for a few hours leads to premature death.
A recent research by the National Institute of Health found that shorter durations of sleep are associated with a greater risk of death. Research is not kind to you and you may really have to rethink how many hours you close your eyes to sleep.
Type Two diabetes
If you want to reduce your chances of getting type two diabetes then you must not develop a habit of sleeping for only 4 hours or less every day. Findings from researchers by various scientists paint a gloomy picture of the health of people who sleep for less than four hours. According to the CDC, patients with diabetes struggle with the management of the disease if they do not get enough sleep. This affects all aspects of the management of the disease and can result in type 2 diabetes. READ ALSO: Burna Boy and Rema make history as winners of the first-ever Billboard Afrobeats Awards
Tips to get enough sleep
A woman enjoys sleep
There are a number of tactics you can adopt to get enough sleep every day. The tips will help you break the jinx of 4 hours of sleep only every day.
Get to bed only when you are tired
Going to bed early when you are not tired can increase your chances of spending a lot of time awake. On the flip side, going to bed when you are already tired means you will only spend a few minutes awake before you start sleeping.
Keep your bedroom dark and quiet
Your bedroom is the place where you want to enjoy enough rest. Ensure that it is dimly lit to enable you to fall asleep early. According to the CDC, sleeping in a dark and quiet room is one of the steps you can take to get enough sleep.
Remove electronic devices from the bedroom
Electronic devices can be a major distractor and can prevent you from breaking the habit of sleeping for 4 hours only. Gadgets such as televisions or smartphones in the bedroom may encourage you to continue paying attention to the gadgets instead of sleeping.
Get some exercise
A woman does aerobics
It is always easier to get some good sleep when you are at ease after enjoying some good exercise. Make it a habit to do exercise to help improve your health. Ensure you spend a few minutes every day to do light workouts. These may include aerobic exercises such as jogging and swimming. According to an article published in the New York Times, people who do light exercises rest better at night. READ ALSO: Toilet Scrolling: The negative health impact of using your phone while on the toilet
What are the recommended hours of sleep?
Medical experts recommend different hours of sleep for different age groups. For Newborns, the recommended duration of sleep is between 14 hours and 17 hours. Infants who are aged between 4-12 months should sleep between 12 and 14 hours. READ ALSO: How lack of sleep can make you more sensitive to pain
The recommended hours of sleep for toddlers between 1-2 years is 11-14 hours. Adults aged between 18 and 60 years should sleep for at least 7 hours. Those who are 65 years and older should get about 7-8 hours of sleep.