Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz, sleep expert: “Not sleeping is associated with obesity, depression, or cognitive decline”

Sleeping well is not a luxury. It is a fundamental biological need for physical and mental well-being. In an increasingly fast-paced society, rest is often pushed aside by daily obligations, work, and the constant use of technology. However, both the quality and quantity of sleep directly influence our health, performance, and mood.

This is how Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz, professor of Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid and an expert in sleep, well-being, and occupational health, explains it to AS:

“Sleep is the body’s main recovery process. Sleeping is not simply closing your eyes. It is one of the most complex biological processes the brain performs,” Rodríguez-Muñoz says. “While we sleep, the body repairs tissues, regulates hormones, and the brain reorganizes the information gathered throughout the day. Sleeping well does more than make us feel rested.

“It is essential for memory, emotional regulation, the immune system, and cardiovascular health. That is why sleep is increasingly being recognized as one of the fundamental pillars of health. The key point is that sleep cannot be replaced. Neither coffee nor willpower truly compensates for a lack of rest,” he explains.

The brain continues working while we sleep

“The brain does not shut down when we sleep. In some stages of sleep, its activity is almost as intense as when we are awake. During the night, memories are consolidated, learned information is reorganized, and metabolic waste that accumulates during the day is cleared away,” the expert shares.

“It is as if the brain uses that time to organize, clean, and prepare itself for the next day. That is why sleeping is not a waste of time. It is an active and essential process for proper brain function,” explains the author of Dormir para vivir. La ciencia del descanso en la era del cansancio (Sleep to Live. The Science of Rest in the Age of Fatigue).

What happens if we sleep poorly

Rodríguez-Muñoz also confirms that poor sleep over many years can have consequences:

“Chronically insufficient sleep is associated with multiple health problems: a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and cognitive decline. This does not mean that one bad night will have serious consequences. But when sleep deprivation becomes a habit for years, the body eventually pays the price,” he warns.

“Today we know that sleep, healthy eating, and exercise are the three major pillars of health. If one of them fails consistently, the other two cannot fully compensate. In fact, poor sleep also affects how we eat and the amount of energy we have to exercise,” the expert concludes.

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