Why Late Sleep Is Dangerous - Negative Consequences For A Person

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Why is it dangerous to stay up late?

Most people in the modern world are very busy. We get up at 6-7 in the morning to go to work or school, and in the evening we go to bed well after midnight, because we are finishing household chores or just relaxing. But late sleep is actually very harmful, although problems do not appear immediately.

The harm of late sleep

When a person goes to bed at night, the hormone melatonin begins to be produced in his body. Under the influence of this hormone, the resistance of the immune system increases, and the cells of the whole body are restored, which is why melatonin is sometimes called the hormone of youth. The peak of melatonin production is 23: 00–04: 00, during the daytime its concentration in the blood is minimal.

But there is another important condition - for the release of melatonin, darkness and peace are needed. If a person is not sleeping, but working, then cortisol, a stress hormone, is turned on. The body does not rest, but, on the contrary, is in a state of tension. In such conditions, it wears out and ages faster. Some researchers believe that people who stay up late live shorter lives.

Failure to properly rest and recover affects the nervous system. A person becomes more irritable and even aggressive, constant weakness, fatigue, and a broken state appear. Decreased efficiency, both at night and during the day.

Most melatonin is released from 11 pm to 4 pm

The immune system also suffers from insufficient production of melatonin. Leukocytes - white blood cells that kill all foreign organisms - are destroyed. The immune system can no longer fully protect the body, so a person is more likely to get sick. The inability of the body to defend itself can lead to more serious consequences, for example, oncology.

High levels of cortisol also harm the cardiovascular system. People who are awake after 23:00 are more likely to have high blood pressure, and in the future they may develop heart and vascular diseases.

When a person goes to bed late, the meal time is usually also shifted. Dinner at 23: 00-24: 00 can become commonplace. But our body is not adapted to nutrition in this mode, therefore digestion is slower, metabolism is disturbed. The consequences can be weight gain and even type 2 diabetes.

People who stay up late are more likely to have high blood pressure

How to go to bed earlier

Even if you are used to thinking of yourself as an "owl", it is quite possible to go to bed earlier. Try these tips to get started:

• Knowing the time you need to wake up, determine the optimal time to go to bed. Remember that healthy sleep lasts at least 7 hours;
• Turn off the TV, phone and computer an hour before bed. Using gadgets at night has been proven to interfere with sleep;
• do not drink caffeinated drinks in the evening;
• do not wait for the moment when you start to collapse from fatigue. If you need to go to bed at 22:00, then it is at this time that you go to bed, even if you will not be able to immediately go into the kingdom of Morpheus;
• get ready for bed in advance. Take apart the bed and brush your teeth when all the work is done;
• create your own ritual that will set you up for sleep. Someone is taking a shower, someone is reading a book, and someone is meditating. The main thing is to choose an action that in your head will be firmly connected with sleep;
• don't go to bed tired. It is very difficult to fall asleep in this state, therefore, on especially difficult days, set aside time for rest and relaxation;
• move things to the morning. First, even if the duration of sleep does not change, you will rest at the “right” hours when melatonin production is at its maximum. Secondly, in the morning, when a person has not yet had time to get tired, many tasks, such as cleaning, are completed faster.

Go to bed at the "right" time, even if you don't feel sleepy

Wakefulness after 23:00 not only reduces performance, but also greatly harms the body, can lead to various health problems. It is very important to train yourself to go to bed earlier, because then you can work more productively and stay young for longer.