Not getting enough “beauty sleep?” If you’re not, you’ll want to pay close attention to this article. Getting less than six hours of sleep each night could do more than make you look tired and haggard. It could very well double your chances of developing a condition linked to heart disease and other deadly conditions.
A lack of sleep raises the risk of a condition called
metabolic syndrome. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines metabolic syndrome as a group of obesity related risk factors that can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Anyone that has at least three of the following five risk factors would be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome: too much abdominal fat, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high glucose, and high blood pressure.
Obviously, metabolic syndrome is a red flag for diabetes and heart disease. This information is especially crucial for women since the death rates from heart disease in younger women have risen lately after dropping steadily for decades. However, when it comes to the effects of not getting enough sleep both men and women are equally affected.
What the research revealed.Martica Hall from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researched the sleep patterns of 1214 adults between the ages 30 to 54. The research team discovered that 29% of people who slept less than six hours a night met the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Twenty-four percent of those who slept between six and seven hours a night met the criteria. Those who slept 7 to 8 hours a night were at the lowest risk for developing metabolic syndrome.
That should really drive home the importance of getting your shut-eye! But if not, there’s more.
Another study from the Warwick Medical School reviewed 39 studies on the link between obesity and lack of sleep in children. Seven of the 11 studies showed a consistent association between lack of sleep and obesity. 600,000 adults were also reviewed in this research, and all the studies on adults also showed a link between obesity and lack of sleep.
Snoring and metabolic syndrome.The two main risk factors for metabolic syndrome are having too much
belly fat and being insulin resistant. But a new study found that loud snoring, difficulty falling asleep, and a lack of refreshing sleep could predict the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome as well.
Research showed that adults who reported frequent loud snoring were two times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. The risk was increased by 80% in those adults who stated they had trouble falling asleep and by 70% in those who stated they did not sleep soundly or feel refreshed when they woke up.
After analyzing the five risk factors researchers found that loud snoring significantly predicted the development of low HDL cholesterol and high blood sugar levels. Having trouble falling asleep and non-restorative sleep didn’t predict any of the metabolic syndrome abnormalities. For this reason, scientists believe that loud snoring could very well be a risk factor for cardio metabolic degeneration.
See your doctor if you’re having trouble sleeping soundly at night. There could be a medical cause contributing to the problem. As the research shows, getting a
good seven to eight hours of sleep each night is more than just “beauty sleep.” It’s crucial for your health.
