Sleep is an essential part of life, and the amount of sleep we need varies from person to person. In this article, we explore some of the myths surrounding sleep duration and investigate if anyone can really survive on just 5 hours of sleep a night. We also look at the effects of sleep deprivation and how it can affect our health. Finland, the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom and Belgium are all countries with high levels of sleep, while Ireland lags far behind.
But is it possible for some people to function well on less than 6.5 hours of sleep each night? Research suggests that this could be due to a rare genetic mutation, so it's unlikely that someone can train themselves to need less sleep. The belief that lack of sleep can be fatal may have originated from a study conducted in the 1980s. Rechtschaffen and his colleagues found that when rats were deprived of sleep using a particular experimental method, they would die after two to three weeks. However, humans don't have to suffer such extreme consequences from lack of sleep.
In 1965, Gardner's parents asked Lieutenant Commander John J. Navy Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit in San Diego to observe their son. The study found that Gardner's cognitive abilities deteriorated over time as he was deprived of sleep. By day four, he was struggling to concentrate and becoming irritable and uncooperative.
On day six, his speech slowed down and by day seven his memory had worsened. Paranoia began on day 10 and by day 11 his facial expression and tone of voice had become inexpressive. It's clear that lack of sleep can have serious consequences for humans, even if it doesn't lead to death. If we constantly deprive our body of sleep for months or years, we increase our risk of developing various conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.In this article, we have explored some of the myths surrounding sleep duration and investigated if anyone can really survive on just 5 hours of sleep a night.
We have also looked at the effects of sleep deprivation and how it can affect our health. It is clear that getting enough quality sleep is essential for our physical and mental wellbeing.
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