I know. You don’t need a reason. You just know you should get more. But knowing exactly why can push you to make changes and accommodations in your existing sleep habits. The stressful global climate doesn’t help. I know a lot of you are struggling to get enough shut eye nowadays.
Every person’s sleep needs vary. Some just need 7 to feel refreshed, some need 9 – 10 hours to feel ultimately well rested. However, not everyone gets the required number of hours in. In the U.S. a whopping 35% of the adult population don’t get enough sleep. Imagine ⅓ of the population of America being sleep deprived. You better hope your Uber driver or that truck driver you just passed got enough sleep because lack of sleep accounts for 1/25 road accidents. A 2018 study found that your risk of getting in a road accident increases significantly with each hour of lost sleep. If you sleep fewer than 6 hours, your likelihood of falling asleep on the wheel increases. Being up for 18 hours straight is similar to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05% that increases to 1% if you’re up for 24 hours – and 1% is OVER the legal driving limit.
This is dangerous, as sleep deprivation can put your health and safety at risk. Here’s what sleep deprivation can do to your body:
- Effects on cognitive function – being well-rested can maximize problem-solving skills and enhance memory. However, poor sleep can impair brain function and decision making skills.
- Poor memory
- Poor concentration
- Poor decision making skills
- Difficulty in learning and problem solving
- Effects on the immune system – rest helps regenerate antibodies and repair organ tissues.
- Slower healing
- Slower recovery from illness
- Increased likelihood of getting sick
- Effects on skin – no explanation needed – you know you’re sleep deprived right away when you see eyebags.
- Accelerated aging
- Sallow skin
- Eyebags
- Effects on mood – sleep deprivation has an adverse effect on mental health. If your mood changes due to prolonged and chronic lack of sleep, see a professional.
- Increased irritability
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Effects on heart health – you might feel rested after just 5 hours of sleep but one study found that people who slept fewer than 5 hours per night had a 61% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who had 7 to 9 hrs of sleep.
- Higher risk of high-blood pressure and stroke
- Effects on appetite and metabolism – sleep deprivation increases levels of ghrelin and decreases levels of leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us feel hungry while leptin makes us feel full. This may cause us to feel hungrier and overeat.
- Increased appetite, slower metabolism
- Increased risk of overeating leading to obesity and diabetes
So you see, not getting enough sleep can cause a host of problems. If you need to revisit your sleep hygiene and learn how to improve your sleep quality, The Help has eight tips to help you sleep better at night.
What works for you? Got any sleep improvement tips for us? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!
Written by Jaie O. TheHelp