Sleeping little would disrupt the activity of hundreds of genes. Worse, sleep deprivation would completely block the functioning of certain genes. British researchers at the University of Surrey came to this conclusion by comparing the genetic activity of volunteers who slept 10 hours a night for a week before sleeping the second week for less than 6 hours.
The researchers found a change in activity in 700 genes, including those involved in the immune system response and the stress response. The biological clock was also affected. It only takes a week of too short nights for the genes to be seven times more disturbed.
Sleep repairs, lack of sleep destroys
“Sleep is essential to allow the body to rebuild itself and maintain a functional state, explains Professor Colin Smith, quoted by the BBC. Any type of dysfunction can increase the risk of developing disease later ”.
Lack of sleep has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and brain function (memory, emotional control).
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