6 or 8 hours? It’s the quality of sleep that matters, say experts

Ever woken up in the morning feeling sleep-deprived, redeyed and irritated? Most of you would recollect how your productivity went for a toss that day. Now imagine not getting proper sleep on a daily basis. In the long run, this might lead to depression, weight gain, high BP and hasten the onset of diabetes. Thus, sleep plays an important role in your physical and mental health. 

“One needs to get six to eight hours of sleep at night to be able to wake up rejuvenated the next day. Sleep helps the brain work properly. While one is sleeping, the brain is preparing for the next day. It’s forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information. It is also the time when a lot of essential hormones are released and sleeping helps in balancing them as well,” says Dr. Sheetal Suresh, consultant physician and sleep specialist at Apollo Hospital. 

The immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. This system defends the body against foreign or harmful substances. Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way in which the immune system responds. For example, if one is sleep deficient over a prolonged period of time, such a person may have trouble fighting common infections.

“While the suitable number of hours of sleep varies from person to person, it is safe to say that six to eight hours are essential on a daily basis. Sleep is the period when most of our body systems recuperate after having worked hard the full day. Hence, it is essential to sleep at the right time. Sleep deficiency can harm an individual over a period of time. Sleep also affects how the body reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose (sugar) level. Sleep deficiency results in a higher than normal blood sugar level, which may increase the risk for diabetes,” explains Dr N Ramakriishnan, director, Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences. 

Getting enough quality sleep at the right time helps us function well throughout the day. “Quality sleep is the keyword here. One needs to have at least six hours of undisturbed sleep for the body to recover. If your sleep is being interrupted from time to time, even if one sleeps 12 hours, you will feel tired. So more than the number of hours, it is the quality of sleep that matters,” says wellness expert Dr Wasim Mohideen.