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12th Jan 2018

Lack Of Sleep Can Have Some Pretty Damaging Effects On Your Health

Shirleydonlon

It’s not exactly news to us that we’re supposed to get eight hours sleep each night in order to function properly the next day, but realistically, I’m sure the majority of us fail to get this much sleep every night.

With busy schedules, errands to run and a LOT of shows to get through on Netflix, sometimes it’s just not possible to be tucked up in bed by 11pm.

However, not getting a full eight hours sleep can actually have some serious consequences that aren’t anything to do with being tired.

Matthew Walker, author of the book Why We Sleep, spoke to Tech Insider to explain the harm done to our bodies when we don’t get enough sleep, and revealed that male fertility can be affected.

Sperm

He said: “Men who are sleeping just five to six hours a night have a level of testosterone which is that of someone ten years senior.”

Walker said that this means the chances of successful conception aren’t as high because the person’s sperm quality isn’t as good as it should be.

Lack of sleep also affects our memory, according to Walker.

He said: “It’s almost as though without sleep the memory box of the brain shuts down and you can’t commit new experiences to memory. You can’t essentially make and create those new memories.”

It’s safe to say we’re going to bed early tonight… 

READ MORE: This New ‘Micro-Cheating’ Trend Has Everyone Feeling Guilty

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