Sleep deprivation is responsible for numerous injuries, accidents and negative health conditions for people across the world. The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. When you fail to get a good night’s rest, there are numerous negative side effects. If you want to better understand the consequences of sleep deprivation, these are five of the worst side effects from not catching those zzz’s.
#1: Delayed Reaction Time
When you skimp on sleep, your reaction time is one of the first things that you lose. Delayed reaction time is a contributor to many accidents and injuries in the workplace as well as in the world. People who operate heavy machinery or need to drive the next day after sleeping poorly are more likely to get into an accident. These people have a delayed reaction time to events such as a car stopping in front of them or a deer running out onto the road. Studies show that getting fewer than five hours of sleep is dangerous reports UAMS Health.
#2: Risk of Disease Increases
People who sleep five hours per night or less increase their risk for disease. This includes heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer and even death. Harvard University reports that long-term poor sleep can lead to a whole host of problems because the body cannot function properly on lower levels of sleep. Disease increases as the body has difficulty regulating hormones, limiting inflammation and regulating blood pressure.
#3: Depression
Sleep problems do not only contribute to physical health problems, but a lack of sleep also contributes to mental health issues such as depression. In fact, insomnia has a high correlation with depression. Depression can lead to insomnia and insomnia can lead to depression. The Sleep Foundation reported that “people with insomnia have a ten-fold risk of developing depression compared with those who sleep well.”
#4: Memory Loss and Intelligence
The importance of sleep is clearly seen in the way our brain operates when we haven’t had enough sleep. A lack of restorative sleep creates problems by impairing “attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning and problem solving” according to WebMD. Sleep also helps us retain memories and place those memories in our mind. To remember your day, you need to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
#5: Aging Poorly
If the mental health and physical disease deficiencies cannot motivate you to sleep more, consider that a lack of sleep can age you quickly. Your skin suffers dramatically from a lack of sleep because the body begins to create excess cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone and it stops the body from producing enough human growth hormone as well as stop the body from producing enough collagen. Both of these hormones are important for healthy skin and muscle mass.
Getting enough sleep is critical for your health and for the health of others. Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night on a good, comfortable mattress in a cool, quiet room. Great sleep will give you more energy, a better immune system, better skin and prevent sleep deprivation accidents.