What happens if you sleep less than 6 hours every day: an expert's answer

Sleep is vital for our body. A full, high-quality rest at night helps to recover and recharge.

A person needs eight hours of sleep to feel good, but most people only get six hours. BBC Science Focus has gathered the opinions of experts on this issue.

According to the US National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

The recommended sleep duration for children aged 4-12 months is 12-16 hours; 1-2 years - 11-14 hours; 3-5 years - 10-13 hours; 6-12 years - 9-12 hours; 13-18 years - 8-10 hours; 18 years and older - 7 hours or more.

However, not everyone needs the same amount of sleep every night.

According to Alice Gregory, a professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, and author of the book "Napping," some people need more sleep than others, but everything changes throughout life.

Sleep duration can be affected by various factors and circumstances, such as illness.

"For some people, six hours of sleep a night may be enough. The National Sleep Foundation emphasizes the individual differences of each body and notes that for some people, a little less or more sleep than recommended is enough," Gregory said.

She also added that there are people who sleep six hours, but they are lucky with their genetics and can feel great.

"The number of people who can feel fine on less than six hours of sleep and have no brain or body disorders is actually zero," said Matthew Walker, a professor of neurology at the University of California, Berkeley.

If you have problems with sleep, you should follow the recommendations and extend the duration of your rest at night. The brain can overestimate our ability to function in conditions of insufficient sleep, so it is worth protecting your body from lack of sleep.

Sleep deprivation leads to serious health problems and can even lead to death. Losing one hour of sleep can have a big impact on the body.

A 2014 study published in the journal Open Heart found that there was a 24% increase in heart attacks the day after we lose an hour of sleep due to daylight saving time.

The researchers can't say for sure why daylight saving time increases the risk of heart attacks, but the day after the clocks change is Monday, and the loss of an hour of sleep could be exacerbated by factors such as stress related to returning to work and changes in our sleep cycle at the beginning of the week.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told you how to deal with insomnia and improve sleep quality with useful tips.

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