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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : November 6, 2018 12:52 PM IST
Less sleep? Drink plenty of water © Shutterstock
The effects of sleeping less are well known. From diabetes to hypertension and heart diseases to Alzheimer's, insufficient sleep has been linked to a number of diseases and condition. But a recent study has found that shorter duration of sleep (just six hours or less per night) -- as opposed to eight -- may have a higher chance of being dehydrated. It is natural not to feel too well after a night of insufficient sleep. The next time you sleep less, you must consider drink more water you may suffer from dehydration. The results of the study are published in the journal SLEEP. The research involved studying US and Chinese adults who reported sleeping six hours. The study observed that these had significantly more concentrated urine and 16-59 per cent higher odds of being inadequately hydrated compared to adults who slept eight hours on a regular basis at night.
The link between less sleep and dehydration
The cause was linked to the way the body's hormonal system regulates hydration. A hormone called vasopressin is released to help regulate the body's hydration status. It is released throughout the day, as well as during nighttime sleeping hours, which is what the researchers focused on for this study. According to lead author Asher Rosinger, vasopressin released both more quickly and later on in the sleep cycle. When you wake up earlier, you might miss that window in which more of the hormone is released, causing a disruption in the body's hydration.
Dehydration negatively affects many of the body's systems and functions, including cognition, mood, physical performance, and others. Long-term or chronic dehydration can lead to more serious problems, such as higher risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones. Some of the other health risks associated with dehydration include depression, high blood pressure, constipation, uremia and gallstones.
This simply means that if you are only getting six hours of sleep a night, it can and you feel bad or tired the next day, drink extra water.
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