How losing just one hour of sleep each night impacts your health and memory

New Delhi: Experts say that losing even one hour of sleep each night can be harmful to your health, affecting your memory and focus. The human body needs 7-8 hours of sleep each night to stay healthy.

But when people do not get adequate sleep, “it results in various problems, such as poor attention, focus, concentration and memory,” said Dr Sudhir Kumar from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, in a post on X.

“Losing just one hour of sleep could take up to four days of time to recover,” he added.

Not getting enough sleep can also lead to headaches, anxiety, and stress.

People deprived of sleep are more likely to make “poor decisions, and have driving errors, leading to more vehicle crashes”.

In addition, “sleep deprivation is associated with higher risk of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart attack, stroke, depression, dementia, erectile dysfunction and infections,” the neurologist said.

While ensuring “a regular sleep schedule and sleeping for 7-8 hours every night,” is essential for good health, the doctor stated that "oversleeping (more than 9 hours) is also unhealthy”.

In an earlier post, the expert noted that sleep duration and a consistent sleep schedule can help “lower the risk of insulin resistance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes”. 

Good sleep is also important for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Proper sleep is also crucial for preventing mental health issues like schizophrenia, depression, and stress.

Agencies