Often Sleep 6 Hours? Experts Reveal the Impact on Brain Health

JAKARTA - Brain health is closely related to the quality and duration of sleep. When a person sleeps, the brain does not really rest, but remains active in carrying out important processes such as strengthening memory, repairing cells, to maintaining the balance of nerve function.

Therefore, getting enough sleep of more than six hours per night for most adults is key to maintaining cognitive abilities.

Reported by Hindustan Times, neurologist from Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, Sudhir Kumar, MD, DM, reminded that the habit of sleeping only six hours per night cannot be considered trivial. Even though physically a person feels fine, the brain still undergoes significant changes.

"In a controlled study, people who only slept six hours per night for two weeks showed cognitive performance as if they had been awake for 24 to 48 hours nonstop," Dr. Kumar said in his post.

He emphasized that limiting sleep is not a smart way to increase productivity.

"Sleeping six hours every night is not a productivity strategy. It is an accumulation of neurological stress," he said.

"Even though a person may not be aware of the decline, the brain definitely feels the impact," he added.

The findings are quite worrying, he continued, many study participants feel they are still functioning normally even though the test results show a decrease in mental performance. Lack of sleep can trigger reduced attention span, slow reaction time, working memory disorders, and deteriorating decision-making ability.

He also highlighted that lack of sleep often deceives self-perception.

"Lack of sleep does not always make a person feel drunk or not focused. In fact, in many cases, people still feel confident even though their cognitive performance is declining," he explained.

Dr. Kumar emphasized that most adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep each night to maintain brain health.

"This sleep need is not just about comfort, but about long-term cognitive health," he said.

Meanwhile, according to the Mayo Clinic, the ideal sleep duration varies depending on age. Babies aged 4-12 months need 12-16 hours of sleep per day. Children aged 1-2 years need 11-14 hours, aged 3-5 years about 10-13 hours, aged 6-12 years 9-12 hours, adolescents 13-18 years 8-10 hours, and adults are recommended to sleep at least seven hours each night.

Keeping the duration of sleep according to needs, a person not only feels more refreshed, but also helps the brain work more optimally in the long term.