Scientists are always telling us what to cut back on - less alcohol and ditch the vape. But when it comes to living as long and as healthy as possible, few people are as committed as biohacker Bryan Johnson.
The 47-year-old has dedicated his life to 'not dying' and 'de-ageing' himself. While Johnson’s transformation has been far from subtle since launching ‘Project Blueprint.’ a lot of people reckon it might have more to do with the $2 million he spends each year to maintain it.
And this includes everything from his multiple supplements a day to strict diet and exercise routines. But Johnson's methods are known to be controversial too like injecting his son's blood and measuring his night time erections. Some lessons have hit harder than others for him.
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Now he’s turning his attention to something a lot of us are guilty of: not getting a good night's sleep.
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Whether you got stuck in an all-nighter gaming sesh or overworking to meet a deadline, the expert's got some pretty bleak news for the sleep-deprived.
In a clip posted from his X account, Johnson said: "If you recently got less than four hours of sleep, I have some news for you."
He explains that one night of seriously limited sleep can mess with your body in serious ways. "When you do that, your NK cells, these are the cells that are responsible for killing cancer, they decrease in activity by 72 percent," Johnson explained. "You also have a 400 percent increased likelihood of getting sick."
According to the tech entrepreneur, even just one short night of sleep can 'dramatically lower your body's ability to fight cancer.' And bouncing back from it isn’t exactly easy either.
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The human body reportedly takes 'several days to recover' from one bad night's sleep. Furthermore, Johnson claims your brain reacts to sleep deprivation the same way it does 'a traumatic brain injury.' He added: "So, the brain is experiencing the lack of sleep as though it were harmed in a significant way."
Of course, not everyone can say it's easy to get eight solid hours every night. Life gets in the way, whether it be kids, shift work, stress or insomnia. If you're struggling, experts recommend things like limiting screen time before bed or trying out the military sleep method to help you nod off faster.
One bad night is bad enough it seems, but if sleepless nights become your routine, it might be time to rethink your bedtime habits. Johnson concluded: "It really is a bad idea. It reduces your body's primary function that keep you alive."