Why is staying up late the enemy of the kidneys?

When staying up late becomes a common habit, we often only see the immediate consequences such as fatigue, headaches and lack of concentration. But the kidneys are one of the organs that suffer long-term damage due to late sleeping and lack of sleep.

There are many reasons why we stay up late, from finishing work, studying, watching movies or surfing the phone until midnight. Many of these people have to wake up early the next morning, according to the health website Verywell Health (USA).

Long-term sleep deprivation will negatively impact kidney health.

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Many studies show that too little or too much sleep reduces the kidney's filtering function and increases the risk of chronic kidney disease. Meanwhile, the kidneys work continuously to filter blood, balance water, electrolytes and many other functions.

The kidneys also have their own circadian rhythm. During the day, the kidneys filter and excrete more, while at night they slow down their filtration rate and increase the secretion of water-retaining hormones.

When we consistently stay up late and sleep less, this circadian rhythm gets disrupted. Over time, these small disturbances each night add up and can become real damage.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that people who sleep less than 4 hours, 4-6 hours, or more than 8 hours per night over a long period of time are at higher risk of chronic kidney disease than those who sleep 7-8 hours.

In addition, it is important to note that not only lack of sleep but also prolonged sleep out of circadian rhythm can damage the kidneys. Because when the kidneys are disrupted, the activity of thousands of genes that control water balance, blood pressure regulation and metabolism will be affected. The result is increased oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis. These are all major factors leading to chronic kidney disease.

In addition, lack of sleep also increases the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. All of these are factors that can cause chronic kidney disease to progress more quickly.

People who often stay up late should pay attention to some warning signs of kidney disease. These signs include mild swelling of the ankles or eyelids in the morning, frequent urination at night, dark urine despite drinking enough water, persistent fatigue and high blood pressure.

When some of these signs appear, the patient needs to visit a doctor and check kidney function. Blood and urine tests will help detect kidney damage early and have timely intervention, according to Verywell Health .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thuc-khuya-trien-mien-vi-sao-lai-la-ke-thu-cua-than-185251205191623428.htm