- READ MORE: The ideal equation for getting back on track with your sleep unveiled
Often, we skip an additional hour of rest to make it to the gym before starting our day or to attend an early morning meeting.
However, have you noticed that even with reduced sleep, you feel more alert than normal?
It's a fascinating puzzle that has caught attention in various online communities lately, including Reddit and TikTok .
In a video that has garnered over 30,000 views, TikToker Nathan Beaudinn posed a question to his audience about why he feels much more energetic when he gets less sleep.
On the online discussion platform Reddit, a user posed this question: "Why do I feel less fatigued and more energized upon waking up after getting fewer than seven hours of sleep, whereas if I get more than that, I find myself feeling terrible?"
Currently, experts consulting with INSPIRATIONS DIGITAL have disclosed the intriguing solution.
It is believed that these compensatory mechanisms are initiated by the brain to mitigate the effects of inadequate sleep.
"The body and mind are attempting to adjust to whatever problem or lack they are encountering," Dr. Sam A. Kashani, a board-certified sleep medicine specialist at UCLA Health, explained to INSPIRATIONS DIGITAL.
That’s why we’ve endured for millennia—no matter if the stressor is short-term or long-lasting, our brain and body will continually attempt to adjust and function despite it.
The National Institute for Health suggests that getting between seven and nine hours of sleep each night is best for peak mental and physical well-being.
If the duration is shorter than that, your body, brain, and behavior will adapt to help you continue functioning even when you haven’t had sufficient rest, according to Dr. Ankit Parekh, an assistant professor of sleep medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who spoke with INSPIRATIONS DIGITAL.
According to Dr. Parekh, this process entails generating additional 'alertness' substances that maintain your body’s wakefulness and boost your focus for a short period. Examples of these include cortisol, often referred to as the stress hormone, and adrenaline.
Following a good night’s rest, many individuals experience their highest cortisol levels in the morning, which then gradually decrease over the course of the day, as stated. Dr. David Rosenberg , who engages in family medicine practice Florida .
However, when you receive insufficient sleep compared to what you require, you can disrupt this cycle, leading your body to generate cortisol at irregular times, like during later parts of the day.
Dr. Parekh mentioned this could lead one to believe their energy levels are elevated during the later part of the day or in the evening.
Nevertheless, if you consistently have an overload of stress hormones, these may start taking a toll on your physical health.
Persistently elevated cortisol levels may result in hypertension, an impaired immune response, and increased blood glucose which can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. diabetes , according to Cleveland Clinic .
This additional strain on your brain cells hinders their normal function, ultimately leaving you feeling more exhausted over time.
Dr. Parekh mentioned, "You might think that sleeping less makes you more vigilant. However, as the day progresses with only a limited amount of sleep, you'll begin noticing its impact, and before long, you’ll understand the necessity of recuperation."
Research indicates that cognitive function significantly declines when sleep is insufficient — despite feeling awake.
One study from the The University of Pennsylvania along with Harvard discovered that volunteers experiencing poor sleep quality perform poorly on learning tests but report feeling completely alert.
The scientists indicated that the participants appeared to be 'mostly oblivious' to the growing impacts of sleep deprivation.
Dr. Parekh indicates that research on brain scans demonstrates individuals lacking sufficient sleep must exert considerably more effort to concentrate compared to those who have had adequate rest.
Dr. Kashani mentioned that another element affecting one’s sense of alertness could be anxiety.
He mentioned that the stressful situations causing your sleepless nights and poorer quality of rest may also leave you feeling more awake during the daytime.
This 'vicious cycle' can be challenging to escape from, and even though you might experience increased alertness temporarily, you will start experiencing the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation over time.
An additional factor contributing to feeling more alert despite reduced sleep could be your subconscious tendency to seek out more stimulants that boost your brain activity when you're lacking rest.
For instance, if you typically have coffee in the morning, you may find yourself pouring an additional cup unconsciously. Generally, the higher your caffeine intake, the more likely you are to experience heightened alertness.
Dr. Parekh mentioned that there’s a slim possibility you might belong to an uncommon subset of individuals who thrive with minimal sleep compared to the typical person.
Scientists are uncertain about the exact number of individuals who fall under this category - those impacted by short sleeper syndrome - but they have definitively identified it in approximately Fifty Families Across the Globe as per the Cleveland Clinic.
This is believed to be caused by a rare genetic mutation inherited from parents rather than something one develops during their lifetime.
Miraculously, short sleepers manage to obtain only four to six hours of rest each night yet remain full of energy. Additionally, they often do not rely on alarm clocks and find it simple to fall asleep quickly at bedtime.
Famously, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is reportedly able to function with just four hours of sleep per night, placing them in this category.
However, if you belong to the large group of individuals who require more than four hours of sleep, you will gradually start feeling the impacts if you consistently get insufficient rest, according to Dr. Kashani.
In the short term, you're likely to have problems focusing, learning and responding to other peoples emotions if you get less than eight hours according to the NIH.
You may become more easily irritated and short-tempered than usual, making interactions with others challenging.
Dr. Parekh mentioned that the body experiences increased inflammation when lacking sleep, which gradually weakens various internal systems, ranging from the brain to the heart.
This could be one of the reasons why chronic insufficient sleep has been associated with various health issues such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, depression, and hypertension, as stated by the NIH. Additionally, Dr. Kashani mentioned that it may also contribute to neurodegenerative disorders like dementia.
This could also raise your chances of getting into accidents such as car collisions.
In total, Dr. Kashani stated that numerous individuals fail to recognize the significance of sleep.
Getting adequate shut-eye is key to supporting your health, he said. Adding: 'the most important sleep habit is to sleep. To sleep as much to sleep as much as your body needs and when your body needs it.'
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