Terrifying image of 'sleep zombie' shows what tired Brits will look like by 2050
If you don't take sleep too seriously you might want to have a look at this terrifying 3D illustration of the holistic impact that a lack of sleep has on our health
The first defined image of a sleep zombie can be revealed by your Daily Star today and it is utterly terrifying.
It shows what knackered Brits will look like if we continue to get by on just six hours a night.
Dubbed ‘Hannah’, the slouched over, grumpy, red-eyed 50-something picture paints a grim image of how a lack of zzz’s makes us look rough as hell.
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Many said she even resembles Gollum from Lord of the Rings and looks “like she’s in her 90s, not 50s”.
Dr Sophie Bostock detailed the terrible effects that a lack of sleep over an extended period of time can have on the human body.
The gloomy catalogue includes short-term memory loss, aging skin, hair loss and obesity.
It comes amid figures that show sleepless Brits are on average getting just six hours and 24 minutes per night.
Dr Bostock said: “Many of us don’t realise that haphazard daily routines and lack of sleep interfere with our circadian rhythms, the 24-hour cycles which control our physiology.”
Other problems associated with poor kip include chronic back pain, bags under our eyes and swollen ankles which can signal heart disease.
Dr Bostock designed the model from several evidence-based studies published in academic journals since 2010.
The expert, who worked with Bensons Beds on the research, added: “Hannah is a thought-provoking illustration of the holistic impact that sleep has on maintaining overall health.
“Studies show that prolonged sleep deficiency can put you at a higher risk for conditions that may impact the heart - including obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”
A healthy adult usually needs around seven to nine hours of sleep, according to the NHS website, which says “age, health and personal circumstances” can affect how many zzz’s we need.
Teens, children and babies need more sleep because they are still growing, it adds.
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