What happens if you sleep 12 hours one night and 5 hours the other? Endocrinologist Pavlova answers

 If you are used to sleeping for 12 hours one day and 5 hours the next, this regime will not go unnoticed for your health.

The easiest way to ruin your health is to forget about normal sleep. However, most people try to correct the situation with eternal lack of sleep this way: on weekdays we walk around like half-asleep zombies, but on weekends we try to get enough sleep. However, such tactics not only do not work, but can also cause serious health problems in old age. Endocrinologist Zukhra Pavlova spoke about a new study on this topic in her Telegram channel. Z

Scientists have been able to prove that irregular sleep duration may be associated with an increased risk of dementia. In 90% of cases, people with dementia notice sleep disturbances before other obvious and noticeable signs of the disease. Now it turns out that not only the duration of the night's rest matters, but also consistency. If on one day you slept 12 hours, then 5, and on the third day - 9, then this is quite harmful.

It is advisable to structure your life so that you sleep approximately the same number of hours every day.

In addition, researchers have found that injury, illness, depression, and changes in personal life can have a significant impact on the quality of sleep and its duration. All of these factors also affect brain health. Scientists came to this conclusion based on many years of research, questionnaires and neuropsychological tests, in which more than 800 people took part. The average age of study participants was 76.3 years. Every 3-5 years, specialists updated current information about the volunteer.

Therefore, it is better not to disturb your usual sleep patterns even during weekends or vacations. Ideally, sleep about 7-8 hours every day.

Often we ourselves may not notice how our body is screaming for help due to regular lack of sleep. However, there is a list of symptoms that clearly indicate: it’s time for you to urgently change something. For example, if you notice that you are increasingly unable to cope with outbursts of anger or irritation, perhaps it’s time for you to reconsider your sleep routine. The fact is that night's rest plays a key role in regulating emotions. At this time, the brain is actively processing the impressions of the day. Another clear sign that you're not getting enough sleep is unexplained weight fluctuations. Firstly, lack of sleep provokes an increase in the appetite hormone ghrelin. Secondly, lack of sleep can lead to impaired carbohydrate metabolism. Lack of sleep can also slow down muscle recovery and growth.