Our sleep health plays a much bigger role in keeping our bodies running than you may know. It can affect our gut health, mental health, as well as other aspects of our body. Most people think that losing sleep means they will be tired, have less attention, may be short-tempered etc., nothing too bad and believe it is something they can recover soon enough in the next night’s sleep. However, it is not that simple or easy! A 2016 study published in the Scientific Reports Journal showed that it can take 4 days' worth sleep to recover one hour of lost sleep. So, how worse can sleep deprivation be? And how long before it starts affecting your body? A study published in the journal Biomarker Research looked into how not getting enough sleep affects our bodies, particularly our heart health. They found that even a few bad nights of sleep can quickly lead to changes in your body that are linked to heart problems. Bad Sleep vs. Good Sleep In this study, researchers compared what happened to people's bodies after nights of poor sleep versus nights of healthy sleep. Sixteen young, healthy men participated. Each man spent two separate three-night periods in a sleep lab. Restricted Sleep: In one session, they got very little sleep, averaging only about 4.25 hours per night for three nights. Normal Sleep: In another session, they got a healthy amount of sleep, averaging about 8.5 hours per night for three nights. Throughout the study, researchers took blood samples in the mornings and evenings. They also had the men do 30-minute high-intensity exercise sessions and took blood samples before and after. They then checked for levels of 88 different proteins in the blood that are known to be related to heart disease. How Poor Sleep Affects Your Body After analyzing the blood samples, the researchers discovered that even just three nights of not enough sleep were enough to change the men's blood chemistry. Inflammation and Heart Risk Levels of proteins linked to a higher risk of heart disease and inflammation went up after just three nights of poor sleep. This shows how quickly your body can react negatively to a lack of rest. Exercise Helps, But Doesn't Fix It While exercise did have some positive effects on protein levels, it wasn't enough to completely cancel out the harm caused by not sleeping enough. Even with exercise, participants still showed increased levels of 16 proteins associated with heart disease. The study points out that even young, healthy people can experience these biological changes from short-term sleep loss. This really highlights why it's important to be aware of how even just a few nights of poor sleep can affect your heart. The researchers also mentioned that more studies are needed to see how short-term sleep restriction affects older adults and women. Tips for Better Sleep For those looking to improve their sleep and avoid these harmful changes in the body, experts' advise trying to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day, even on weekends. You must also avoid caffeine and alcohol later in the day. Don't use electronic devices right before bed. Limit long naps during the day. Make sure to exercise regularly, and eat a healthy diet.