Get sufficient sleep to prevent disastrous accidents. Not getting enough sleep will affect your mood and how you behave. Your brain is also less alert, inhibiting you from thinking critically. You can develop numerous health problems that stem from little sleep. Too little sleep affects sex drive, and when you do not get enough sleep, it will age you.

Lack of Sleep Is Bad for your Health

According to research studies, some of the biggest disasters in history  contribute to the lack of sleep. The 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island and the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred because of sleep deprivation. The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in 1986 was also due to the lack of sleep.

Another incident that occurs due to insufficient sleep is car accident resulting from fatigue. People who get drowsy behind the wheel are less alert and are more likely to get in accidents.

Research studies also show that people have more accidental injuries on the job due to poor sleep quality or no sleep at all. These workers tend to have more sick days per accident.

Sleep Loss Affects Cognitive Skills

To coin the phrase, “He or she is not the smartest bulb in the box” is putting it mildly. Yes! Lack of sleep dumbs you down.  Your brain is less alert, erasing all critical thinking skills. You are not able to concentrate well.

It becomes more challenging to solve problems. This impairs your judgment, making it harder for you to learn. When you get enough sleep, you will retain information much longer. 

Your memory is at risk when you do not get enough sleep. When you get sufficient sleep, you will remember what you have learned and experienced throughout the day. Learning and retaining new information becomes easier when you get enough sleep.

Surgical students make more technical errors during residency according to the American Journal of Surgery. The medical students experience more errors because they do not get enough sleep.

Get Sufficient Sleep to Avoid Health Problems

Continuous patterns of sleepless nights can lead to:

• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes

According to a 2011 European Heart Journal review, people who sleep fewer hours at nights had a 48 percent chance of dying from or developing coronary heart disease.

According to Phyllis Zee, MD, Ph.D., lack of sleep does not cause heart disease. It increases the risk factor for heart disease.

Studies show that those who sleep fewer than six hours per night were twice as likely to get a heart attack or a stroke per the National Sleep Foundation.

There is an increased chance of high blood pressure if you sleep between five and six hours per night according to the Mayo Clinic.  Getting enough sleep assists in regulating stress hormones and contributes to maintaining a healthy nervous system.

The National Institute of Health states high blood sugar levels contribute to poor sleep patterns. The person affected gets up throughout the night for bathroom breaks. Your kidney attempts to get rid of the high blood sugar level by urinating, which results in little sleep. One of the biggest complaints from diabetics is frequent urination.

Not enough Sleep Affects Sex Drive

Clinical studies show that both men and women have lower libidos due to lack of sleep. They lack energy due to sleeplessness and increased tension. A 2002 study in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that men with sleep apnea have a much lower level of testosterone.

The lack of sleep contributes to low vitality. Plus, a combination of low energy and increased tension could lead to sexual dysfunction according to Robert Thayer, Ph.D., California State University.

Looking Older Due to Lack of Sleep

The appearance of your eyes and skin will change due to sleepless nights. Your eyes will look puffier. You will also see dark circles underneath your eyes. Fine lines will suddenly appear on your skin.

Your body releases stress hormones when there is too little sleep. The stress hormone, cortisol, can wreak havoc on the skin due to continued sleep loss. It will affect the collagen that keeps your skin smooth and wrinkles will develop too early.

Try sleeping for eight hours two nights in a row, then take a look at your skin. The appearance of your skin will be much smoother, and you will have a youthful glow. The moral of the story is to get sufficient sleep.

When you get sufficient sleep, you release growth hormones, repairing your tissues according to Phil Gehrman, Ph.D.

Why is it important to get enough sleep?

When you get sufficient sleep, you will have better mental and physical health. Your overall quality of life will improve. While you are sleeping, your body improves your brain function. Younger children and teens grow faster when they get enough sleep.

• Brain Function and Emotional Well-Being

Getting enough sleep helps your brain to work well throughout the day and the next day. It will improve memory recall. Studies show when you get sufficient sleep it will improve learning a new skill. Children do well in school when they sleep more hours.

Further studies show if you do not get sufficient sleep, your brain activity will change. Decision making and problem solving will become challenging. You cannot control your emotions, and you will be more resistant to change. Research studies associate lack of sleep with depression, suicide, and risky behavior.

• Sleep and your Physical Health

Obesity is an issue when you do not get sufficient sleep. Sleep balances your hormonal levels. The lack of sleep will put your hormones out of whack, making you overeat.

Your immune system does a better job when you get sufficient sleep. When you do not get enough sleep, your body cannot fight infections the way it should. You will get sick more often.

Conclusion

Getting more than six hours of sleep per night will help prevent severe accidents. It will increase your cognitive skills. You will not forget things that often. You can contribute to avoiding numerous health problems such as heart disease, stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, and other health conditions. You can increase your sex drive when you get sufficient sleep, and you can also look younger. Your physical activities will improve, and you will not suffer from obesity.

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