I’ve talked about different sleeping habits that can benefit sleep hygiene and health, but I haven’t talked about
why it matters to have positive sleep habits, and why it matters that you get enough sleep and a good quality sleep. The obvious, immediate effects of not sleeping enough are feeling restless and tired in the morning and having trouble concentrating. But do you know the long term effects of not getting enough sleep, and just how drastically they can affect your life?
Long term sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your health, body, and even your brain.
Hypertension, heart attacks and strokes, obesity, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, memory loss, and faulty brain functioning are just a few of the long term effects. Sleep helps our bodies regulate stress hormones, so not sleeping enough or sleeping at irregular times can end up making us feel more stressed. This is also related to depression and anxiety, and
depression patients often suffer from irregular sleep schedules and a lack of motivation.
Brain fog, short temper, and lack of focus are all commonly felt after just one unrestful night, but if this behavior is continued, it can severely impact your balance, reflexes, motor skills, sharpness, and concentrating. Sleep deprivation is a huge factor in car crashes, and
drivers missing just one to two hours of required sleep in a 24-hour period almost double their risk of having a car accident. It is extremely dangerous to be sleep deprived and driving, and just being sleep deprived in general is very dangerous.