Over the past week, I have been averaging between 6-7 hours of sleep…interrupted sleep. The constant outside noise, the smoke detector that doesn’t work, and the noise from the next door neighbor are keeping me from getting a good night sleep.
Sleep is something precious, and your body needs it for energy and brain function. Getting enough sleep, minimum of eight hours of sleep, is necessary for recovery, concentration, energy, and illness prevention.
Did you know that some 50 million to 70 million American adults suffer from sleep disorders or the inability to stay awake and alert, according to the CDC. Though it’s not always easy to do, getting adequate sleep can help keep our immune systems primed for attack.
According to WebMD, here are some surprising effects of lack of sleep:
- Sleepiness causes accidents: Yes, I completely agree with this as I almost had an accident once because I was falling asleep as I was driving to work. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, by the time you get ready for work and hit the road, you are exhausted! Poor quality sleep leads to inability to concentrate.
- Sleep loss dumbs you down: Lack of sleep can affect your ability to learn. It impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving which can make it more difficult to learn. I remember being in a class after a sleepless night, and honestly, I learned nothing but how to drink black coffee and search the web. I couldn’t concentrate and I was trying to keep my hands and my mind busy so that I wouldn’t fall asleep.
- Sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems: Lack of sleep can put you at risk of heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. It is estimated that 90% of people live with insomnia…and I am probably one of them.
- Lack of sleep kills sex drive: Okay, this is definitely NOT good news. Sleepless nights can deplete your energy levels, no doubt about that. Make sure you get enough sleep, good sleep, so that you can go back to the normal routine.
- Lack of sleep ages your skin: Again, not good news. Lack of sleep can make you have puffy eyes (like me right now), and experience sallow skin. It can also lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles that even make up can’t cover.
If you are not getting enough sleep, here are some things you can do to help that insomnia: Take short naps, supplement your vitamin D, get enough exercise during the day, block noise and light out, no caffeine late at night, no alcohol or smoking, learn relaxation techniques, and make sure your bedroom is cool!
I hope to be able to enjoy a good night sleep soon, and I hope you do too!
Reference:
Peri, Camille. (2014, February). “Coping with Excessive Sleepiness”. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss
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