Experts Sharpen Sleep Advice With Clear Risks, Targets and Fixes

Overview

• A sleep specialist warns that being awake for more than 20 hours or sleeping about four hours can degrade attention to a level similar to consuming roughly six beers.
• Adults are advised to get 7–9 hours per night with an emphasis on quality, while adolescents should target about nine hours to support healthy development.
• Chronic short sleep is linked to higher risks of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and weakened immunity, with deep sleep critical for memory and growth in children.
• Physiological shifts tied to sleep loss include higher cortisol and an appetite tilt toward hunger via increased ghrelin and reduced leptin, which can drive weight gain and insulin resistance.
• Actionable steps include a consistent sleep schedule, limiting late caffeine and screens, keeping naps brief at roughly 15–26 minutes with caution for insomniacs, and, for some women, medically supervised options such as melatonin, hormone evaluation or therapy.