According to a large-scale survey of more than 26,000 people in the United States, sleep deprivation (less than seven hours a night) not only affects mental health, but also leads to insufficient intake of many nutrients!
Studies have found that people who sleep too little have significantly lower intakes of calcium, magnesium, vitamins D and K. Women are more likely to have deficiencies in vitamins A, C, and E. The elderly are even more likely to have deficiencies. Women are more likely to be deficient in vitamins A, C, and E. The elderly are also at high risk for nutrient deficiencies, which means that sleep is closely related to diet and nutrition.
Sleep Quality also Affects Resistance!
Research shows that people who sleep less than 7 hours a night have nearly 3 times the risk of catching a cold than those who sleep 8 hours or more.
People who sleep less than 92% efficiently are 5.5 times more likely to catch a cold than those who sleep more efficiently! These differences are not related to age, weight, season, antimicrobial levels or psychological stress.
Can Supplemental Sleep on Weekends Make Up for Lack of Sleep on Weekdays? NO!
A study from the University of Colorado showed that repeated late nights during the week (5 hours of sleep per day), even with more sleep on the weekends, did not improve problems such as insulin resistance, weight gain, and decreased concentration.
Another study published in Current Biology pointed out that although sleep supplements can slightly improve mood and fatigue, but the recovery of endocrine function and metabolism is limited.
Another study published in Current Biology points out that although sleep supplements can slightly improve mood and fatigue, they have a limited effect on endocrine function and metabolic recovery.
Three Types of Sleep: Good, Restorative, and Insomnia
A 10-year study in the United States analyzed the sleep status of nearly 1,300 full-time workers and found that employees can be classified into three types of sleep: good, compensatory and insomnia.
The study pointed out that sedentary workers are more likely to fall into the “insomnia type”, while shift and non-traditional hourly workers often fall into the “compensatory sleep type”, i.e., they do not get enough sleep on weekdays, and try to make up for it during holidays, but are unable to really recover.
How Much Sleep Should I Get?
A systematic review found that sleeping less than 5-6 hours or more than 8-9 hours per day was associated with increased stroke incidence and mortality.
Short sleepers had a 29% increased risk of stroke and a 12% increased risk of death, while long sleepers had a higher risk of 46% and 45% respectively. This creates a “U-shaped curve” relationship, indicating that either too little or too much sleep is detrimental to cerebrovascular health.
