Poor sleeping patterns may accelerate ageing process

Neil Paulvin, a regenerative medicine doctor based in New York has speculated that poor sleeping patterns is the leading factor that accelerates the process of extrinsic ageing. A sound sleep of 7 to 8 hours improves cellular and tissue growth, cognitive operations, resilience to diseases, potency of the body and catabolism. This is why a sound sleep is also suggested during times of sickness as this aids the transportation of the cells essential for the resistance to the site wherein their action is necessitated. 

Lack of sleep is said to affect the quality of collagen and elastin which are proteins that keep the skin intact. This could lead to the development of wrinkles, sagging and laxity of the skin. 

Lack of sleep leads to slowing down of motor skills, negatively impacts information processing of the brain, causes lapses in judgments, decreases attention span and also has adverse impacts on emotional health. 

There are certain measures which can be taken at an individual level for mitigating the crisis at hand. These include reduction in screen time, exposure to sun upon waking up, limiting the consumption of caffeinated substances and alcohol and investing in comfortable apparatus to aid sleeping such as comfortable mattresses.