Women are more affected
About a quarter of the population suffers from lack of sleep. Those affected are not able to sleep six to eight hours a night. The lack of sleep leads to accidents, especially on the road, and also increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity, doctors warn.
A study completed by the University of Warwick Medical School shows that sleep deprivation severely affects women both emotionally and physically. “Numerous studies show that people who sleep less or sleep poorly, both women and men for a long time, are likely to die earlier. However, I noticed significant gender differences, especially in terms of hypertension”, said Francesco Cappuccio, professor of epidemiology at Warwick Medical School.
Specifically, women who regularly sleep only five hours or less a night have double the risk to have high blood pressure in comparison with those who sleep seven hours a night.
For men, the blood pressure remains stable whether they sleep five or seven hours a night. Women who sleep less are at risk to suffer from serious heart disease, especially the ones approaching menopause, also warn doctors.
Also, the lack of sleep affects the hormones responsible for appetite control, which increases the risk of obesity.