A doctor has warned how not getting enough sleep every night could put you more at risk of several chronic diseases. Dr Eric Berg DC describes getting less than six hours of sleep a night as a ‘silent killer’ that he claims isn’t talked about enough.
The healthy diet and intermittent fasting expert is the director of Dr Berg Nutritionals and the author of several books, such as Healthy Substitute Pleasure Foods and Get Healthy First. He regularly uploads educational videos on his YouTube channel, which boasts 13 million subscribers.
In one of his more recent videos, titled: “The SILENT KILLER Nobody Talks About”, the expert said: “If you’re consistently getting less than six hours of sleep, you increase your risk of premature death, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and more.”
Occasionally having a rough night’s sleep can be frustrating, but it typically doesn’t pose a health threat. On the other hand, consistently poor sleep, such as insomnia, may raise the risk of conditions like dementia, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers, including those of the breast, colon, ovaries, and prostate.
Dr Berg said: “Your risk of premature death increases by 30%, cancer risk increases by 40%, increased risk of diabetes by 50%, and increased risk of dementia problems like Alzheimer’s. There’s a huge percentage of Alzheimer’s patients that just don’t sleep and getting one hour or four hours of sleep will literally shut down your immune system by 70%.”
He explains that sleep is one of the best ways to clean the brain of damaged proteins. Sleep is essential for repairing and restoring the entire body, especially the immune system. “Without sleep, the immune system shuts down, leaving you vulnerable to infection”, Dr Berg warns.
“Why do we really need sleep? One of the reasons is that sleep is the best way to clean your brain. There’s a certain effect that sleep does to your brain. It acts like a dishwasher. It’s cleaning the brain of damaged proteins – but only if you’re actually getting real sleep.”
What happens during REM sleep?
- Your brain is very active during REM sleep, similar to when you’re awake.
- Your eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids.
- Your breathing and heart rate increase.
- Your muscles temporarily become paralysed to prevent you from acting out your dreams.
- Your body doesn’t regulate its temperature properly during REM sleep.
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep supports parts of the brain involved in creativity, memory, and problem-solving. It improves social interaction, emotional stability, empathy, and your mood throughout the day. “REM sleep is a stage of sleep when your eyes move quickly behind closed eyelids and you dream,” Dr Berg added. “It’s a vital part of sleep that affects your memory, mood, and mental focus.”
Most repair occurs during non-REM sleep, also known as deep or delta-wave sleep, Dr Berg says. As you age, non-REM delta wave sleep decreases significantly. He continued: “Delta wave sleep is vital for fat burning, cell repair, and cell regeneration. It’s also when your body fights infections most effectively.”
What is insomnia?
The NHS says: “Insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping. It usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits.” You likely have insomnia if you regularly:
- find it hard to go to sleep
- wake up several times during the night
- lie awake at night
- wake up early and cannot go back to sleep
- still feel tired after waking up
- find it hard to nap during the day even though you’re tired
- feel tired and irritable during the day
- find it difficult to concentrate during the day because you’re tired
If you experience insomnia for a brief period (under three months), it’s referred to as short-term insomnia. When insomnia persists for three months or more, it’s known as long-term insomnia.
The only way to get diagnosed with insomnia is to talk through your symptoms with a GP. They will try to find out what’s causing your insomnia so you get the right treatment. Sleeping pills are only prescribed for a few days, or weeks at the most, if your insomnia is very bad or other treatments have not worked. If you have any concerns, speak to a doctor.
What do other experts say?
Numerous studies indicate that frequent awakenings throughout the night, lack of adequate sleep, oversleeping, and inconsistent sleep patterns can all contribute to glucose intolerance. Getting enough sleep is crucial for keeping your metabolism in check, and issues with sleep can affect your blood sugar levels.
While the research regarding the link between poor sleep and diabetes is heavily documented, the links between cancer and dementia are less straightforward. A study on the National Institute of Health is titled: “Lack of sleep in middle age may increase dementia risk”.
However, author Dr Séverine Sabia of Inserm and University College London commented: “While we cannot confirm that not sleeping enough actually increases the risk of dementia, there are plenty of reasons why a good night’s sleep might be good for brain health.”
Alzheimer’s Society also says: “There is some evidence to suggest that a lack of sleep may increase a person’s risk of dementia.” It adds: “But, there is not enough to say for sure.”
Meanwhile, a statement on the World Cancer Research Fund’s website reads: “The association between cancer and sleep is not straightforward; stress and lack of sleep can make unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise more likely, which in turn can increase the risk of overweight and obesity. This has been shown to increase the risk for several cancers.
“For people who work shifts or during the night, there’s evidence suggesting they are more likely to develop some types of cancer, such as breast and prostate cancer. This is likely to be because people who work shifts are less likely to get enough sleep, making it harder to make healthy choices, and are more likely to develop overweight or obesity.”
How to improve your sleep quality:
The NHS recommends adults get 7–9 hours of sleep per night. To improve your sleep quality, try the following restful sleep tips:
- Avoid alcohol
- Drink kombucha tea
- Exercise regularly
- Avoid eating too late
- Avoid eating too much protein
- Sleep in a cool, dark room
- Avoid too much caffeine
- Avoid excessive blue light
- Turn lights off a few hours before bed
- Get plenty of sun during the day
- Go to bed when you’re tired
- Avoid stimulating shows/movies before bed
Dr Berg points out: “Sleep medication can sedate you but will not enhance your sleep quality. Alcohol significantly decreases sleep quality, causing snoring, sleep apnea, and tossing and turning.”
As for supplements, Dr Berg said: “Magnesium, vitamin D, and zinc are the most important nutrients for sleep. A microbe called L reuteri can help boost oxytocin and serotonin and improve sleep. Sodium is also vital for restful sleep.”