The number of people who sleep less than 6 hours is increasing. The problem also affects children. The Center for Sleep and Wakefulness Disorders of the VFN and the 1st Faculty of Medicine of the UK conducts extensive research.

 "Our society is becoming twenty-four hours. A cult of activity has developed, especially among the young generation. Mnicer people compete to see who can get the most done", states Prof. MD Karel Šonka, DrSc., head physician of the Neurological Clinic and the Center for Sleep and Wakefulness Disorders of the VFN and the 1st Faculty of Medicine, UK. "Sleep should optimally take place at night and last 7-9 hours for adults, 7-8 hours for older adults. However, the reality is that sleep is getting shorter. According to the Czech Statistical Office, 29% of employees in the Czech Republic, i.e. 1.2 million people, work in shift mode. These people have a disturbed sleep cycle," adds MUDr. Simona Dostálová, Ph.D., from the Neurological Clinic and the Center for Sleep and Wakefulness Disorders of the VFN and the 1st Faculty of Medicine, UK.

Less sleep, more illness
Different stages alternate during sleep. Each sleep phase – light NREM sleep, deep NREM sleep and REM sleep – has different beneficial effects on the brain at different times of the night. "OF literature and research shows that the deepest NonREM sleep is the most important for the brain, that is about two hours, and about an hour of REM sleep," explains prof. Ham. "Many factors affect the quality and quantity of sleep, we must include the state of health of each individual, civilizational influences such as noise, light, study and work demands. Stress, anxiety and overall lifestyle, such as the amount of exercise, the use of electronic devices, activities at the expense of sleep, the use of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine also play a large role," continues Dr. Dostálová. And how, according to her, does lack of sleep and its reduced quality harm our health? The main consequences include cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke), metabolic diseases (obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome), mental illnesses, especially depression, weakened immunity, reduced performance and related cognitive deficits, attention disorders and greater accident rate.

Find out more in press release.