You have probably heard someone say that “Works well” sleeping only five hours a nightfor example. In an accelerated world, where electric light, television and cell phones artificially extend the day, sleep ends up in the background. But Is it really possible to live well sleeping little? The answer, according to science, is more complex than it seems.
For Geraldo Lorenzi Filho, Short Medicine Specialist and Director of Incor’s Sleep Laboratory, necessary quantity of rest varies from person to person and throughout life.
“A baby sleeps 16 to 18 hours a day. A child, many hours too. The still needs to sleep a lot, but the adult tends to sleep less,” he explains. The average, however, recommends that. “Sleeping less than six hours is associated with several health problems,” warns the doctor.
Short Sleepers, an exception and not rule
There are rare cases of people who really seem to get along with little sleep. “In fact, there are short dormors, which are a very small track of the population. Often, with five hours of sleep, they look good,” says Lorenzi.
On the other hand, there are those who need more than eight hours to be rested. The big mistake is in thinking that everyone can fit this first category.
“It’s hard to find someone who is really well sleeping little. Many times, the person thinks he is, but is already living with a sleep deficit,” points out the expert.
The restricted society of sleep
According to Lorenzi, the problem is not only individual but collective. “We have been a society since the invention of electric light, and now with cell phones, which connect to the digital world, this has intensified. These are the great sleeping thieves,” he says.
He explains that small accumulated losses make a difference. “If the person takes 15 or 20 minutes of sleep every day, over time they accumulate deficit. He does not realize that he is tired, gets moody and believes it is well, but in reality it is not.”
One way to identify this is to observe if, on weekends, it sleeps much more than on weekdays. “This is an indicative that you are restricted to sleep, that is, sleeping less than you should,” he explains.
Disorders that hinder rest
In addition to routine, they can harm sleep. “Sometimes the adult wants to sleep, but can not. It may be that he has an intrinsic problem of sleep. A, for example, is very common. The person goes to sleep, wakes up because it breathes badly, accumulates sleep deficit and gets tired over the days,” explains the doctor.
This cycle is usually aggravated by the use of stimulants. “The person begins to have caffeine to compensate for tiredness, but that worsens the quality of sleep and becomes a vicious circle.”
Why sleep is irreplaceable
In addition to the sense of rest, sleep fulfills vital functions. “Sleeping is essential for lightening free radicals and toxic substances in the brain, memory fixation and good psychological balance. It is not luxury, it is a physiological need,” says Lorenzi.
Even those who say they are adapted to sleeping little may be at risk. The doctor cites a study at Incor: “People who slept for five nights less than five hours, even saying they were well, had changes in sympathetic activity and vascular endothelium. This shows that the body was under stress, even if the person was not aware of it.”
The expert’s message is clear: sleeping little, on average, is not healthy. “Sleeping little ends up being a psychological and physical stress for people. The body pays the bill, even when we think it’s okay,” says Lorenzi.
Feeling willing after a few hours of sleep may even happen in punctual situations, turning this into habit is risky. Science confirms: Sleep is as important as balanced diet and physical activity, and should not be neglected.
