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.

While HPV vaccines are most known for preventing cervical cancer, a top US doctor says they can also help curb the rising incidence of head and neck cancers.

According to Mikkael A. Sekeres, Chief of the Division of Hematology and Professor of Medicine at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami, Human papillomavirus (HPV) — the same sexually transmitted virus that can infect the genital area and lead to cervical cancer — is now the greatest risk factor for head and neck cancer.

Writing in The Washington Post, Sekeres noted that HPV accounts for about 30 per cent of oropharyngeal cancer worldwide.

HPV is believed to be responsible for the recent rise in head and neck cancers, which include malignancies affecting the mouth and throat (oral cavity and pharynx), voice box (larynx), sinuses and nasal cavities, and salivary glands.

Sekeres said the US records about 60,000 new cases of head and neck cancers each year, while the global incidence is expected to rise by 30 per cent by 2030.

What Are The Risk Factors?

The expert noted that men develop oral cavity and pharynx cancers at approximately 2.5 times the rate of women.

Major risk factors include:

• Tobacco use, including smoking, secondhand smoke and smokeless tobacco
• Chewing areca nut, also known as betel quid
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• HPV infection

Also read: PM Modi Launches Nationwide Free HPV Vaccination Drive; A Landmark Step, Says WHO

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the high-risk HPV subtypes most associated with head and neck cancers are detectable in the mouths of 4 per cent of adults aged 18 to 69.

While a pap test detects early-stage cervical cancer in women, no such test exists for penile, anal, or head and neck cancers in men, which can worsen their survival rate.

HPV Vaccination Best Prevention Strategy

Thus, Sekeres said: “The best way to prevent the most common types of HPV is through vaccination, with two doses of the vaccine recommended for children at age 11 or 12, or starting as early as 9 years and up to age 26 for those who missed it as a child".

He noted that although the vaccine is approved for use up to age 45, it is generally less beneficial after age 26 because many individuals may have already been exposed to HPV. However, doctors can help determine whether vaccination may still be beneficial for adults.

Earlier this year, the European Cancer Organization also urged broader HPV vaccination regardless of gender.

“HPV affects everyone, regardless of gender. It can lead to cancers of the cervix, mouth and throat, anus and penis. This is why universal protection is so important,” the organization said in a social media post.

Read More: Who Needs HPV Vaccine? Guide For Every Parent, Teen And Adult

HPV Vaccine Can Boost Cancer Risk

A 2026 study published in JAMA Oncology found that boys and men who received the HPV vaccine between the ages of 9 and 26 were nearly 50 per cent less likely to develop cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, anus, or penis.

The findings, based on data of more than 510,000 boys and men, highlight the importance of vaccinating all children and adolescents against HPV, said Taito Kitano, first author of the study and a researcher at Nara Prefecture General Medical Center in Japan.

“Children, adolescents, parents and health care workers should be more informed about the expected benefits of the HPV vaccine, not just cervical cancer,” Kitano said.

UK-based journalist Emma Barnett said it took 21 years to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis, a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb.

The condition, which causes severe pain and other complications, affects one in 10 women. However, diagnosis remains difficult and is often dismissed as merely “painful periods”.

“It’s a disease that has outwitted doctors and researchers around the world. No one knows what causes it. No one knows how to cure it. At least 1 in 10 women are staggering about with it,” Barnett shared in a post on Instagram.

“Endometriosis may not typically kill women, but it’s a living death for many. It is a silent medical emergency,” she added.

The 41-year-old BBC journalist said: “It’s a scandal it takes nearly 10 years to be diagnosed — in my case 21 years.”

Living With Debilitating Pain

Also read: This Is Endometriosis, A Short Film On Debilitating Health Condition Wins BAFTA Award 2026, Know More

There is currently no cure for endometriosis. Available treatments include hormone therapy, predominantly the contraceptive pill, to manage symptoms, or surgery, including hysterectomy in severe cases.

“I’ve been suffering from the condition — in which tissue similar to the womb lining, that’s meant to leave your body, grows and builds outside the uterus — since my periods started at the age of 10. But it would be more than 20 years until I’d be diagnosed at 31, after two years of trying to get pregnant naturally, which meant more than 20 years of enduring excruciating, bone-grinding pain without ever having a label for it,” she wrote in Women's Health magazine.

She described the pain “as a drilling sensation from my pelvis that travels down my legs — making them feel as though I can’t lift them to go up the stairs. Sometimes, the hurt spreads to my arms or chest, and comes with crippling nausea and loss of appetite. I also run cold; freezing even. It’s like someone turned the heating off in my body”.

A Documentary To Expose A Neglected Disease

Read More: Amy Schumer Opens Up On Side Effects After “Botched” Colonoscopy And Weight Loss Journey

Recognizing that many women experience similar struggles, Barnett made a new documentary film "Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis" in which she speaks with women, including doctors, researchers and even politicians about their experiences with endometriosis, highlighting a neglected disease that has no known cure.

Through the documentary, Barnett hopes to raise awareness of the condition, improve public understanding, and draw attention to the long delays many women face in receiving a diagnosis.

“One of the reasons I have made a film about endometriosis is that I want people to understand it is not just ‘painful periods’. It’s a system-wide inflammatory condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing agonizing pain. I am hoping to boost public understanding of that, and beyond merely being able to pronounce it,” she wrote in The Independent.

“It’s very hard to make something invisible visible, but what I am trying to do with this film is bring the invisible into light and show that this is a silent emergency.”

IVF is often regarded as a medical milestone defined by protocols, cycles, and success rates. Over time, it has also come to be understood in a more holistic way, where clinical care and patient experience carry equal significance.

This is especially relevant today, as many patients begin IVF while managing demanding work environments, prolonged screen exposure, and irregular rest patterns. Given how closely reproductive health is linked to hormonal balance, lifestyle naturally becomes part of the broader care context. Which is why IVF care today is not only about clinical precision and outcomes, but equally about how supported, steady, and manageable the overall patient experience feels.

Here are ways to improve the IVF patient experience:

• Establish clear boundaries between work and rest

• Be mindful of screen exposure, particularly in the evening

Evening screen exposure can interfere with melatonin production, affecting sleep quality. Reducing screen time before bed and allowing a wind-down period helps regulate sleep cycles and supports hormonal stability during treatment.

• Managing Injection Fatigue With Needle-Free Injections

A standard IVF cycle involves a series of hormone injections administered over a defined timeline. Depending on the protocol, this can range from 20 to 40 injections in a single cycle. In India, where an estimated 300,000 to 350,000 IVF cycles are performed annually, this represents a significant physical and emotional load for patients. While these injections are necessary, it can be helpful to explore less invasive options such as needle-free injection systems. These systems use controlled pressure to deliver medication without a needle and may help reduce some of the discomfort associated with repeated injections. During IVF treatments, N-FIS, the needle-free injection device, has, in my observation, helped transform patient experience substantially.

Using the latest technological developments in drug delivery has eased the overall treatment experience completely; it has helped patients stay more comfortable and consistent throughout the IVF journey.

• Prioritize consistent and restorative sleep

Sleep plays a direct role in hormonal regulation and recovery. During IVF, maintaining a regular sleep schedule becomes particularly important.

It is not only about getting enough hours of sleep, but also about maintaining rhythm and quality. A calm pre-sleep routine and a stable sleep environment can help the body respond better to treatment.

• Maintain simple, sustainable daily habits

IVF does not require extreme lifestyle changes. It responds better to consistency than intensity. Light physical activity, such as walking or yoga, can help manage stress and support circulation. A balanced diet and adequate hydration further help the body maintain stability through hormonal changes.

The focus should remain on habits that are realistic to sustain, not idealized routines that are difficult to maintain under stress.

IVF is a medically intensive process, but for patients, it is also a deeply personal one that unfolds alongside everyday responsibilities.

Improving the experience does not always require large interventions. Often, it comes from small, practical adjustments that reduce strain, support routine, and help patients move through the journey with greater steadiness and less fatigue.