How sleep deprivation ages you quicker (2024)

It usually starts in the mirror when you begin to notice. Your skin doesn’t have that same youthfulness it once had. The lines on your forehead begin to form permanent creases, and the color under your eyes is a little darker.

This is the reality of aging.

We grow up and we don’t look quite the same. But all this is only on the outside. Beneath the surface, your body is aging too, and sleep loss can speed up the process.

A study done by UCLA researchers discovered that just a single night of insufficient sleep can make an older adults’ cells age quicker. This might not seem like a big deal, but it has the potential to bring on a lot of other diseases. Multiple sclerosis, heart disease and cancer are just a few of them.

Insufficient sleep means that you get less than the 7 hours of nightly sleep that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends for adults. People in the study were allowed only four hours of sleep from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. This type of sleep restriction is actually the most common form of sleep deprivation. Long work hours may prevent us from getting the sleep we need. Or we simply stay up too late at night, failing to make sleep a top priority.

Getting a healthy night’s sleep isn’t just a way to keep the wrinkles away for a little longer — it will actually make you healthier.

How sleep deprivation ages you quicker (2024)

FAQs

How sleep deprivation ages you quicker? ›

Alterations in mood and feelings of fatigue also contribute to the subjective sense of aging,” Yun said. “These changes are typical manifestations of sleep deprivation and can exacerbate both sleepiness and the perception of older age.”

Does sleep deprivation make you age faster? ›

Key takeaways: Lack of sleep is a top cause of premature aging. Adults older than 50 years need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Getting enough sleep improves concentration and gives your body time to repair and recharge.

What are effects of sleep deprivation? ›

You might have trouble learning, focusing, and reacting. Also, you might find it hard to judge other people's emotions and reactions. Sleep deficiency also can make you feel frustrated, cranky, or worried in social situations. The symptoms of sleep deficiency may differ between children and adults.

Do you age slower if you sleep more? ›

Getting a good night's sleep can actually slow aging: new study. Getting adequate beauty rest may actually be important for your health after all.

What are the 5 stages of sleep deprivation? ›

Sleep deprivation timeline
  • Stage 1: After 24 hours. It's common to miss 24 hours of sleep. ...
  • Stage 2: After 36 hours. When you miss 36 hours of sleep, your symptoms become more intense. ...
  • Stage 3: After 48 hours. ...
  • Stage 4: Awake for 72 hours. ...
  • Stage 5: Awake for 96 hours or more.

Does lack of sleep age your face? ›

Results show that the faces of sleep-deprived individuals were perceived as having more hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes and darker circles under the eyes. Sleep deprivation also was associated with paler skin, more wrinkles or fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth.

Can aging from sleep deprivation be reversed? ›

Together, the convergent findings indicate that acute total sleep loss changes brain morphology in an aging-like direction in young participants and that these changes are reversible by recovery sleep.

What are 7 effects of lack of sleep? ›

In the long-term, this lack of sleep can come with steep consequences, including an increased risk of car crashes, workplace error, heart problems, reduced immune function, obesity, a lower quality of life, and an earlier death.

Is 2 hours of sleep better than no sleep? ›

If you skip the night's sleep, nerve function and mood will decline significantly the next day. If the nature of work makes you often stay up late, sleep less, lack of sleep, you should sleep at least 2 hours. This will be more beneficial to your health than not sleeping.

How long does it take to recover from years of sleep deprivation? ›

This can be a single night or last for weeks, months or even years. If a person has sleep deprivation, they can recover by getting sufficient quality sleep. However, when sleep deprivation is severe or has lasted a long time, it can take multiple nights — or even up to a week — for a person to recover.

What is the #1 mistake that will make you age faster? ›

Some research suggests that insufficient sleep could affect the quality and strength of both collagen and elastin, which can lead to wrinkles and skin laxity, or sagging.

What speeds up aging the most? ›

Exposure to light is a top cause of premature aging: Sun exposure causes many skin problems. Ultraviolet (UV) light and exposure to sunlight age your skin more quickly than it would age naturally. The result is called photoaging, and it's responsible for 90% of visible changes to your skin.

What is the number one mistake that makes you age faster? ›

A doctor has revealed one issue that can make you age faster, poor-quality sleep. Dr Neil Paulvin, a longevity and regenerative medicine doctor, talked about the importance of sleep in an interview with CNBC.

Can you tell if someone is sleep deprived? ›

Changes in the way you feel: Feeling fatigued or lethargic throughout the day, yawning frequently. Feeling irritable. Change in mood including feeling depressed, anxious, stressed, paranoid or experiencing suicidal thoughts.

What can 72 hours of no sleep do? ›

Once you've been awake for 72 hours, Dr. Drerup explains, your ability to regulate your emotions — or even accurately perceive the world around you — is severely compromised. “You'll be irritable, anxious, depressed and struggle with executive functioning and thinking,” she adds.

What happens if you stay up all night and sleep all day? ›

Puffy eyes and dark circles, cravings and hunger pangs that can contribute to obesity, poor focus on tasks at work or home, frequent infections because of poor immunity are some of the ways in which our body is affected due to lack of proper sleep.

Does lack of sleep age your brain? ›

In three independent datasets, we consistently found increased brain age after total sleep deprivation, which was associated with the change in sleep variables. Moreover, no significant change in brain age was found after partial sleep deprivation in another two datasets.

At what age does your body need less sleep? ›

According to the National Sleep Foundation, people between 18 and 64 should aim for seven or more hours of sleep a night; people 65 and older should get seven to eight hours each night.

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