Surgeon Warns: Losing Sleep After 35 accelerates Aging, Impacts Hormones & Brain Health
PARIS – A leading surgeon is sounding the alarm on a common habit that dramatically accelerates aging after age 35: consistently sacrificing sleep. Dr. Mehdi Terki, sharing insights on Instagram (@mehdi.medecine),explains that the body’s restorative processes,notably hormone secretion and cellular repair,are most active during nighttime sleep – especially before midnight – and diminishing this crucial period has significant consequences for skin,overall health,and cognitive function.
“After the age of 35,each hour of sleep lost costs much more than before,because it is during the night,especially before midnight,that your organism does most of the work,” Dr. Terki states. He emphasizes the vital role of growth hormone, secreted in larger quantities during the first part of the night, not just in childhood but also in adults for tissue regeneration, muscle strengthening, bone consolidation, and maintaining skin firmness and elasticity.
Chronic sleep deprivation disrupts the body’s entire hormonal balance. Dr. Terki explains that cortisol, the stress hormone, should decrease overnight to allow for repair.”If you sleep poorly or too little, it remains high,” he warns, leading to chronic inflammation that thins the skin, reduces its adaptability, and exacerbates visible signs of aging.
The effects extend beyond aesthetics. Poor sleep is linked to weight gain, mood instability, decreased libido, and a weakened immune system. Furthermore, sleep is critical for brain health, allowing it to “sort, classify, consolidate memories and eliminate waste accumulated during the day, the toxins which, when they accumulate, promote cognitive decline in the long term.” Sufficient sleep, Dr. Terki suggests, actively protects memory and mental clarity.
The surgeon’s message isn’t about fighting the aging process, but about optimizing the body’s natural ability to repair itself. He advocates prioritizing earlier bedtimes and reframing sleep not as wasted time,but as a essential component of an effective anti-aging routine.
