A new British study has found that 70% of adults regularly sleep less than they need, significantly increasing the risk of serious health problems. Experts from the Bed Land project, together with family doctor Katrina O'Donnell, studied thousands of people aged 18 to 99 to find out how poor sleep affects the body, work and financial decisions.
The results revealed a massive “sleep crisis” in the UK, with 45% of respondents regularly waking up during the night and 47% feeling tired almost every day. Sleep deprivation is not only linked to health, but also to finances: 56% of respondents spend more money on essentials and impulse purchases, and 40% regret financial decisions made while tired.
Dr. Katrina O'Donnell explains that sleeping less than seven hours a night harms almost every organ system. Sleeping five to six hours doubles the risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, increases the likelihood of high blood pressure, and can contribute to weight gain. People who sleep four hours or less are twice as likely to suffer from hypertension. Chronic sleep deprivation also increases the risk of dementia in the long term.
Experts urge us to take sleep seriously, as even a few hours of sleep deprivation each day can have a significant negative impact on health and quality of life.
