Insufficient sleep dehydrates our body and upsets the hormone balance

Those who sleep too little favor dehydration

Many adults only sleep six hours a night - which, according to numerous studies, is too little. The recommended sleep duration for adults should be between seven and eight hours daily. An American research team now uncovered another good reason why they should follow these sleep guidelines. Apparently, sleep deprivation affects the hormones and favors faster dehydration.

Researchers at Penn State University in Pennsylvania have found in a recent study that too little sleep adversely affects our hormones that regulate the fluid balance of the body. This is associated with an increased likelihood of dehydration. The study results were recently published in the journal "Sleep".

Those who sleep too little, in which too little hormones are released, which regulate the water balance in the body. This threatens dehydration. (Image: Sven Vietense / fotolia.com)

Badly slept? Then you should drink more water

If you feel unwell after a short night, these may be the effects of dehydration. The researchers suggest that people who have slept too little should drink more water after a night of lack of sleep to counteract symptoms of dehydration. "Starting with just six hours of sleep a night, your fluid balance can be affected," warns study director Asher Rosinger.

Sleep and water balance of the body are related

The Penn State research team studied the fluid balance of volunteers in terms of sleep duration. The team found that participants who slept only six hours had significantly more concentrated urine. In addition, the short sleep group was up to 59 percent more likely to be insufficiently hydrated compared to adults who slept regularly for eight hours.

How does the lack of sleep affect the water balance??

In further research, the researchers found that a particular hormone called vasopressin is responsible for this effect. This hormone regulates the water balance of the body. Although it is released both during the day and at night, but as the scientists prove, the distribution process is accelerated in the late sleep cycles. "So, if you wake up earlier, you might miss the window where more hormones are released, which disturbs the body's hydration," Rosinger said in a news release about the study's findings.

How to recognize a dehydration?

According to the researchers, dehydration can affect many systems and functions of the body. Among other things, this could be reflected in the perception, the mood and the physical and mental performance. If such a condition is sustained over a longer period of time, more serious health consequences such as urinary tract infections and kidney stones are at risk.

Further effects of lack of sleep

But sleep is not only important for the water balance. During sleep, the brain detoxifies and sleep disturbances reduce the process, because during sleep, the interstitial spaces of the brain cells filled with brain water expand. These extensions are similar to a highway, where waste from the metabolism is transported from the brain at twice the speed. This could also be an explanation for why healthy sleep is considered a protective function against dementia.

However, too much sleep can be detrimental

Both too much and too little sleep damages our health. Another study found that people who regularly sleep ten hours or longer are at an increased risk of developing a metabolic syndrome. This is a dangerous combination of obesity (especially abdominal fat buildup), high blood pressure and high blood sugar and high blood fat levels. (Vb)