Mild dehydration may result in longer sleep duration but poorer sleep quality, according to a study published in Springer’s SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine. Researchers tracked 18 healthy young adults over four days under different hydration conditions. Findings showed that dehydrated participants took longer to fall asleep and reported more fatigue despite sleeping about an hour longer on average.
The study involved monitoring participants over four consecutive days, each under a distinct hydration condition: baseline, well-hydrated, mildly dehydrated (after 24 hours of limited fluids), and rehydrated. Each morning, participants completed a validated sleep diary assessing sleep onset, duration, and feeling of refreshment. Researchers confirmed hydration levels through urine samples and body mass changes, according to the study authors. Results indicated that when mildly dehydrated, participants took longer to fall asleep, slept approximately 7.5 hours versus 6.4 hours when hydrated, but reported higher levels of fatigue. After rehydration, both sleep onset and fatigue improved, the study stated.
Read Full Article: https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-05-04-study-links-mild-dehydration-longer-less-restorative-sleep.html