What happens if you regularly sleep less than seven hours per night and/or usually live with disrupted sleep to the point of sleep deprivation? Sleep professionals are often asked, “Why should I care about my sleeping habits?”
The reason you should care is because research has linked poor sleep quality with several preventable and modifiable health consequences such as:
~ Daytime sleepiness and fatigue may lead to conditions such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
~ Short-term lack of sleep usually causes fatigue, poor concentration and reduced memory.
~ Stretching one poor night into chronic sleep loss can lead to irritability, mood swings and several mental disorders such as depression.
~ Short sleep has been identified as a risk factor for obesity.
~ Poor attention while driving caused by sleepiness increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents.
~ Because sleep deprivation shortens telomere length in DNA, which facilitates chaotic cellular growth, it can increase the risk of various forms of cancer.
~ Lack of sleep is related to many psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and psychosis.
~ Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase risk-taking.
~ Sleep loss impacts hormones involved in appetite regulation in the direction of promotion of food intake, meaning reduced sleep can lead to increased appetite.
The good news is that most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable. Set up a healthy sleep schedule, a comfortable sleep environment and arrange a consultation with a sleep specialist if concerns arise. It’s a good time for good sleep.
