We all like to think that our sleep habits are not that bad. I mean, 5 or 6 hours of sleep is not that terrible. It’s only a couple hours off the recommended sleep time. 

But, in reality, falling short of your ideal sleep time by even just 1 or 2 hours on most nights can have serious long term effects. For most people, 6 hours of sleep is not enough and can lead to all sorts of physical and mental health problems. 

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. There’s a small section of the population that functions fine with 4-6 hours of sleep, but this is because of a gene mutation. For the rest of us, it is 7-9 hours of shut eye. 

Occasionally, you may find yourself sleeping longer than 8 or 9 hours. This is typically an indication that you are unwell. It also happens when you are recovering from a disease or procedure. Mental health disorders like stress, anxiety and depression can also cause oversleeping.    

Effects of Sleeping for 6 Hours

Sleeping for less than 7 hours at night affects just about every aspect of your health and life. Chronic sleep deprivation goes as far as cutting short your expected lifespan.  

The most obvious signs that you are not getting enough sleep are fatigue and sleepiness during the day. In turn, these negatively affect your focus, concentration, learning and memory. It can also affect your moods, making you more irritable, more stressed and more anxious. 

Health Risks 

Loads of research has linked sleep deprivation to an increased risk of various health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and dementia. 

That’s because lack of sleep disrupts different systems and processes including circadian rhythm, the levels of various hormones (e.g. stress hormones go up), blood flow, heart rate and even how well your immune system works. 

This is primarily why chronic sleep deprivation is thought to reduce lifespan. Your health deteriorates faster than usual with age and you become a lot more vulnerable to health problems. 

Poor Mental Health

The irritability and lack of concentration you experience following a night of poor sleep is just a snippet of the impact sleep deprivation has on your mental health. 

If you are getting 6 hours or less of sleep night after night, the long term effects are even more dire. It causes perpetually elevated levels of stress, can lead to or worsen depression, is linked to poor decision making and can make people engage in more risky behaviors.

Researchers have found that sleep deficiency can lead to increased suicide ideation.  

Declining Cognitive Health

In addition to affecting your moods and emotions, sleeping for only 6 hours causes rapid decline in brain or cognitive health. 

You have probably noticed how, after a night of poor sleep, you have more trouble solving problems, can’t seem to remember stuff and you feel this general brain fog. 

Over time, continued sleep deprivation causes increased damage to neurons, leads to an accumulation of waste products in the brain and affects other brain functions. This greatly increases the risk of cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

It’s also what causes impaired decision making, memory loss, increased learning difficulty and other cognitive issues.   

Impaired Physical Performance

If you often sleep less than 7-9 hours a night, you most likely also don't get enough exercise during the day. In fact, you probably never feel like you have the energy to go on a run, play a game of basketball or do anything strenuous.

And, as we know, lack of exercise comes with its own numerous health problems. Combined with poor sleep, it puts your heart health at an even greater risk, worsens your mental health and causes faster cognitive decline. 

How to Sleep For Longer

Everyone has different reasons why they are not sleeping for as long as they should. You may have a sleep disorder like chronic insomnia, maybe you get running thoughts every time you get in bed or you engage in revenge bedtime procrastination, causing you to go to sleep late.  

Whatever it is, here are some steps you can take to start getting longer and better sleep. 

• Set a bedtime that lets you get around 8 hours of sleep each night. Stick to this bedtime each night, even on weekends. 
• A good bedtime routine is more than just about what time you sleep. It’s also about the time leading up to sleep. Eat your dinner early, avoid any caffeine or alcohol, turn off screens at least an hour before you sleep and look for relaxing activities like reading, yoga or meditation. 
• A relaxing and sleep-friendly environment is crucial. Make sure your bed is comfortable. Get a good quality mattress, invest in high quality bed sheets that are soft and breathable, and so on.
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and cool. Keep it neat and clean to help you relax when it’s time for bed. 
• Try to get some active time outdoors during the day, even if it is just 10 minutes of brisk exercise. It will make it a lot easier to sleep at night. 
• If you have a serious sleep disorder like sleep apnea or chronic insomnia, see a doctor or sleep specialist for treatment.