Lack of sleep can cause harmful health problems

LACK of sleep has a potentially harmful effect on gene expression, according to a study that sheds light on the link between sleep deficits and a wide range of health conditions.

A sleep deficit - even just a week's worth - can have damaging effects on our genes, researchers said in a new study.

Lack of adequate shut-eye had already been linked to conditions from heart disease and cognitive impairment to obesity.

But sleep researcher Derk-Jan Dijk and his fellow researchers have delved into the molecular mechanisms behind the phenomenon, looking at how missed sleep leads to health problems.

Read more at News.com.au