Sleep changes as we age. When we were kids, we needed 10 to 12 hours of sleep, for teens it is eight to 10 and it decreases to seven to nine as we reach adulthood. But there is always a lack of urgency when it comes to sleep and young adults, many of whom prefer staying up and doing different activities. According to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention, many national surveys show that about 37% of men, and 39% of people from the age of 45 to 64 reported not getting enough sleep.

Many people in America don't sleep the right amount. This means they either sleep too long or not long enough. But what happens to your body when you do not sleep enough? You just feel tired right? No, when you don't get this much sleep, your body can get stressed. This can make you more likely to get sick. A study published by the JAMA Network Open Sleep Trajectories and All-Cause Mortality Among Low-Income Adults showed that people who don't sleep the right amount have a higher chance of dying early. It's like your body needs that time to rest and fix itself. Without enough good sleep, things can start to go wrong. So, getting the right amount of sleep is super important for staying healthy.

How Was The Study Done?

Scientists wanted to see how sleep habits affect people's health over many years. They looked at almost 47,000 people who were between 40 and 79 years old. They asked them about their sleep habits when the study started, and then again, a few years later. The scientists wanted to see if people's sleep habits changed. They divided people into groups based on if they started with too much or too little sleep, and if their sleep changed over time. For example, some people started sleeping a lot but then started sleeping very little. This helped the scientists see how different sleep patterns affected people's health. They wanted to see the long-term effects of sleep.

The study found that people who had sleep habits that changed a lot had a higher risk of dying early. This means if you started sleeping too much and then switched to sleeping too little, or the other way around, you were more likely to die sooner. They also found that these people had a higher risk of heart problems. The risks were even higher for some groups of people, like white adults and people with higher incomes.

Sleep Deprivation And Its Effect On The Body

If you often doze off when you are sitting and reading, watching a movie, talking to someone, sitting quietly after lunch or even during a few minutes of traffic, you may be sleep deprived according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. They explain how sleep deprivation can cause issues with learning, focusing and reacting to certain things. The symptoms of sleep deprivation in kids differ a little as they might be overly active and have trouble paying attention to certain things. If you are experiencing sleep issues, make sure to speak to a healthcare professional who will help you identify the issues and direct you towards the treatment or changes you must make. Here are some ways sleep helps your body.

Repairs Your Heart

Good sleep allows your heart and blood vessels to heal. This keeps them strong and healthy, reducing the risk of heart problems.

Controls Hunger

Sleep helps balance your hunger hormones, so you don't feel too hungry. This helps prevent eating too much and keeps your weight healthy.

Manages Blood Sugar

Proper sleep helps your body use insulin correctly. This lowers the chance of high blood sugar, which can lead to diabetes.

Supports Growth

Deep sleep releases growth hormones, helping kids and teens grow. It also repairs body tissues, which is important for everyone.

Boosts Immunity

When you sleep well, your body's defense system gets stronger. This helps you fight off germs and stay healthy.

Students gaming more than 10 hours a week can have long-lasting negative effects on their physical and mental health, a new Australian study suggests.

Researchers from Curtin University, Perth have found that playing online games for over 10 hours can worsen diets, increase body weight and led to poorer sleep than lighter gamers.

Professor Mario Siervo, Curtin School of Population Health said of the results: "What stood out was students gaming up to 10 hours a week all looked very similar in terms of diet, sleep and body weight. The real differences emerged in those gaming more than 10 hours a week, who showed clear divergence from the rest of the sample."

What Did The Study Find?

Researchers surveyed 317 students across five Australian universities, with a median age of 20, to understand how time spent gaming each week might affect their diet, sleep, and body composition.

Students were categorized as low gamers (zero to five hours a week), moderate gamers (five to 10 hours) or high gamers, who played video games for more than 10 hours each week.

They found that low and moderate gamers showed largely comparable health outcomes but health indicators deteriorated sharply among students whose gaming time exceeded 10 hours a week.

The study found diet quality declined and obesity was more common once gaming exceeded 10 hours a week, with each extra hour linked to poorer diets even after accounting for other lifestyle factors. While high gamers recorded a body mass index (BMI) of 26.3kg/m2, low and moderate gamers fell within a healthier range, with median BMIs of 22.2kg/m2 and 22.8kg/m2 respectively.

Professor Siervo said: "Each additional hour of gaming per week was linked to a decline in diet quality, even after accounting for stress, physical activity and other lifestyle factors."

Additionally, sleep quality was generally poor across all groups but students who played video games for moderate or high amounts of time reported worse sleep than low gamers.

Despite clear results, the expert added that the study does not prove cause and effect but shows excessive gaming is linked to higher health risks, while low to moderate play appears largely fine.

Why Is Playing Video Games Bad For You?

"Our data suggests low and moderate gaming is generally fine, but excessive gaming may crowd out healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet, sleeping properly and staying active.

"Because university habits often follow people into adulthood, healthier routines such as taking breaks from gaming, avoiding playing games late at night and choosing healthier snacks may help improve their overall well-being," Professor Siervo said.

Playing video games for excessive amount of time has also been linked to paving the way for mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, aggression and poor emotional control as well as social/life problems including neglecting responsibilities, isolation, poor relationships, academic/career impact.

Moreover, previous research has also found that playing games for over three hours straight significantly raises the risk of physical issues. Sessions exceeding this time frame can lead to eye fatigue, headaches, neck pain and wrist pain, regardless of the player's age or gender.

This study was published in Nutrition on January 16.

Days after eagle-eyed fans spotted Nick Jonas stepping out of the Golden Globes during the Nikki Glaser-hosted show in Los Angeles, the popstar has now revealed what led to him there.

In an X video from January 11, Jonas was seen standing alone outside of a tent at the Beverly Hilton hotel surrounded by palm trees and green foliage, looking like he was taking a breather while sipping from a glass bottle of water and rubbing his chin.

As the clip began to go viral online, users shared their guess on why he had to exit the ceremony, commenting, "Social anxiety got the best of him." Soon after, he did reveal that he anxiety had "hit him like a gut punch" on X.

Living with Type 1 diabetes, Jonas has previously spoken about the emotional challenges of managing a chronic condition and how it has affected his life.

What Is Social Anxiety?

As explained by Dr Sanil Sinhasan, Consultant Psychiatrist at Mind Care Clinic and SRV Hospital, Mumbai, to Health Shots: "Social anxiety disorder is an intense fear of being judged, rejected, or embarrassed in social or performance situations.

"People with social anxiety often worry excessively about how they look, speak or are perceived by others."

This kind of anxiety is typically triggered by meeting new people, public speaking or even everyday interactions like eating in public, stemming from fears of negative evaluation by others.

Symptoms include blushing, sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, nausea, dizziness, trouble speaking, stomach issues. If left untreated, social anxiety can become debilitating as it can also cause fast, shallow breathing, muscle tension, suffocation, symptoms that can intensify anxiety further and lead to serious medical events.

How To Overcome Social Anxiety?

Professional therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medication such as antidepressants (SSRIs/SNRIs) can offer deeper solutions for managing fear and building skills.

Regular physical activity can also help release endorphins and reduce tension as well avoiding excess caffeine can support mental health.

Mental health experts also recommend opening up to loved ones and avoiding isolation. Speaking to loved ones and sharing how you’re feeling can help ensure your current state doesn’t aggravate.

Doctors also advise speaking therapist if social anxiety significantly impacts your life as professional help is crucial for lasting change.

Wondering if abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain and leg swelling are signs of something fatal?

According to Dr Ninad Katdare, Consultant Surgical Oncologist, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, they may be symptoms of cervical cancer. While many may expect drastic signs such as severe pain, heavy bleeding or obvious illness, identifying certain symptoms can help with early diagnosis and treatment.

Cervical cancer develops in a women's cervix (uterus opening) due to abnormal cell growth, primarily caused by persistent HPV infection, a common infection that's passed through sexual contact.

When exposed to HPV, the body's immune system typically prevents the virus from causing damage however, in a small percentage of people, the virus can survive for years and pave the way for some cervical cells to become cancerous.

Treatment involves surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, with early detection significantly improving outcomes, though it remains a major cancer in low-income countries. Cervical cancer can also be prevented through vaccination and regular screening (Pap/HPV tests).

Dr Katdare told News18: "In its early stages, it is often more of a whisper than a shout. As a cancer surgeon who has treated hundreds of women with gynaecological cancers, I can say with confidence that recognising these subtle cues can lead to earlier diagnosis and significantly better outcomes."

He recommends looking out for these early signs:

1. Intermenstrual Bleeding

2. Changes In Vaginal Discharge

But Dr Katdare warns that any sudden or abnormal changes in discharge may be a symptom of the cancer. “Because discharge issues are commonly linked to infections, many women self-medicate or delay seeking care," he said. “While infections are far more common, chronic or unusual discharge especially in older women requires thorough evaluation."

Discharge may become persistent, watery, foul-smelling, or tinged with blood or pink, brown, or rust-colored if you're suffering from this kind of cancer.

3. Persistent Pelvic Pain

Consistent pelvic pain particularly that occurs outside the menstrual cycle or during sexual intercourse should be a point of concern. According to Dr Katdare, "Pain during intercourse, or dyspareunia, is especially important. It should not be dismissed as ‘just dryness’ or an age-related change. In cervical cancer, this pain may result from inflammation or tumour growth involving the cervix and surrounding tissues."

4. Leg Swelling

5. Urinary And Bowel Symptoms

“These symptoms are often evaluated in isolation because they don’t seem related to the cervix," said Dr Katdare, “which can delay the correct diagnosis."

Ultimately the expert advised: "“Cervical cancer does not always announce itself loudly,. Sometimes, it leaves silent clues. The sooner you listen to them, the better the outcome. If something feels ‘off,’ trust that instinct and seek medical advice. Early action can make the difference between a curable disease and a life-altering diagnosis."