• ABOUT
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • CONTACT
facebook
flickr
rss
twitter
youtube
google_plus
pinterest
  • HOME
  • FASHION
  • FOOD
  • BEAUTY
  • HEALTH
  • CELEBRITY
  • FLIRTY
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • CITY SCENE

Tall Drink of Water

14 Nov 2018
Guest Author
Off
Asher Rosinger, cognition, dehydration, hormonal system, hydrated, Kailuan Study, kidney stones, mood, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Penn state, physical performance, sleep, urinary tract infections, vasopressin, water. urine

Shorter Sleep Can Lead to Dehydration

Adults who sleep just six hours per night — as opposed to eight — may have a higher chance of being dehydrated, according to a study by Penn State.

A woman sleeping in bed with a glass of water on the nightstand. (Photo: Shutterstock)

A study by Penn State found that adults who sleep just six hours per night — as opposed to eight — may have a higher chance of being dehydrated. The cause was linked to the way the body’s hormonal system regulates hydration. (Photo: Shutterstock)

These findings suggest that those who don’t feel well after a night of poor sleep may want to consider dehydration — not simply poor sleep — as a cause, and drink more water.

Results of the study were published in the journal Sleep on Nov. 5.

Researchers looked at how sleep affected hydration status and risk of dehydration in U.S. and Chinese adults. In both populations, adults who reported sleeping six hours had significantly more concentrated urine and 16-59 percent higher odds of being inadequately hydrated compared to adults who slept eight hours on a regular basis at night.

The cause was linked to the way the body’s hormonal system regulates hydration. A hormone called vasopressin is released to help regulate the body’s hydration status. It is released throughout the day, as well as during nighttime sleeping hours, which is what the researchers focused on for this study.

“Vasopressin is released both more quickly and later on in the sleep cycle,” said lead author Asher Rosinger, assistant professor of biobehavioral health and anthropology at Penn State. “So, if you’re waking up earlier, you might miss that window in which more of the hormone is released, causing a disruption in the body’s hydration.”

Senior man lying on bed with glass of mineral water on the nightstand. (Photo: Getty Images)

If you don’t feel well after a night of poor sleep, you should drink more water. (Photo: Getty Images)

Dehydration negatively affects many of the body’s systems and functions, including cognition, mood, physical performance and others. Long term or chronic dehydration can lead to more serious problems, such as higher risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

“If you are only getting six hours of sleep a night, it can affect your hydration status,” Rosinger said. “This study suggests that if you’re not getting enough sleep, and you feel bad or tired the next day, drink extra water.”

Two samples of adults were analyzed through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and one sample of adults was analyzed through the Chinese Kailuan Study. More than 20,000 adults were included across the three samples. Participants were surveyed about their sleeping habits, and also provided urine samples which were analyzed by researchers for biomarkers of hydration.

All data is observational and from cross-sectional studies or a cross-sectional wave of a cohort study; therefore, the association results should not be viewed as causal. Future studies should use the same methodology across sites and examine this relationship longitudinally over the course of a week to understand baseline sleep and hydration status, Rosinger said.

Article written by Marjorie S. Miller of Penn State
heel-logo
Guest Author

This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.

About the Author
This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.

About the Author

heel-logo
Guest Author

This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Recent Posts

Dishes include (clockwise from top left) the classic lamb vindaloo bowl, chicken tikka masala kathi roll and chicken farcha burger. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

First Look

The 36-ounce, 28-day dry aged prime porterhouse steak for two with roasted garlic and maître de butter for $110. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

First Look

Cynthia Ervo at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. (Photo: HelloBeautiful)

The Year in Fashion

Advertisement

Contact Us:

  1. Name *
    * Please enter your name
  2. Email *
    * Please enter a valid email address
  3. Message *
    * Please enter message
Copyright DC on Heels
All Rights Reserved | DC on Heels