All Your Sleep Questions, Answered | Dr. Matthew Walker
10% Happier with Dan Harris
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The Role of Sleep in Physiology
Lack of sleep has significant effects on the reproductive health of both men and women, as it ages a man by a decade in terms of testosterone levels and impairs female reproductive health. Sleep deprivation also has a dramatic impact on the cardiovascular system, with a 24% increase in heart attacks following the loss of one hour of sleep and a 21% reduction in heart attacks with an additional hour of sleep. Furthermore, sleep deprivation decreases the number of critical anti-cancer fighting immune cells called natural killer cells by 70%. The brain is also greatly affected by lack of sleep, as sleep is essential for brain health.
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