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Sleep deprivation is worse than alcohol
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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According to scientists, insomnia is more often the cause of accidents, in particular road accidents, than alcohol intoxication. Such conclusions were made by researchers from Sweden and Norway after a long-term study of the health of volunteers.
The observation lasted more than 10 years; a total of about 55 thousand people under the age of 89 (both sexes) took part in the study.
First of all, scientists paid attention to what exactly bothered the participants (frequent awakenings in the middle of the night, problems falling asleep, feeling tired in the morning, etc.). As a result, it was established that lack of sleep was the cause of the death from an accident of more than 270 citizens, including about 60 who suffered from falls, 169 who suffered in traffic accidents. At the same time, experts established that the cause of all accidents was not alcohol, contrary to popular belief, but constant lack of sleep.
Further observations showed that people suffering from insomnia die from various accidents almost 3 times more often than those who get a good night's sleep. According to experts, constant lack of sleep leads to the body's reactions being slowed down, as well as the ability to make quick and correct decisions. In addition, people who rest less than 8 hours a day are more likely to develop cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, in particular diabetes.
Chinese experts have found that lack of sleep has a negative impact on a person's mental health, as poor sleep causes disturbances in the white matter. The goal of neurophysiologists was to find out how exactly sleep problems affect a person's condition. 53 people took part in the experiment, 23 of whom had various sleep problems.
All study participants filled out special questionnaires and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. As a result, it was found that due to various sleep disorders in the right hemisphere, there is a decrease in the integrity of nerve fibers, which causes a loss of connection with consciousness, a decrease in concentration, and long-term sleep problems can cause the development of depressive disorders. According to experts, with insomnia, the protective sheath of nerve fibers is destroyed, which provokes mental health problems.
Recently, American researchers announced that they know how to fight insomnia - as it turned out, it's simple, you just need to spend less time in bed. According to the researchers, to get rid of sleep problems, you need to sleep less - usually, when a person tries to fall asleep, he lies in bed for hours, which is the main mistake. If you can't fall asleep, you just need to get up and do something - this approach, according to experts, will help get rid of chronic and acute insomnia, but in severe cases it will still be difficult to do without medication.
Today, experts recommend paying attention to bed linen, which should be made of natural material, the bed and the furnishings in the bedroom. If you have problems falling asleep and wake up often, you should avoid active activities before bed, do not listen to loud music, and also refuse to watch TV.
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