Yes, it is a losing proposition if you are not getting enough sleep or not having a quality sleep is not good for you, your body or your mind. As a matter of fact, your health and you will suffer. A lack of sleep can increase several health risks, including the following:
- Heart Disease: People who do not get enough sleep are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease, according to a large British study. Although the reasons are unclear, researchers said lack of sleep appeared to be linked to increased blood pressure, which is known to raise the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Some people believe that a sleep deficit may put the body into a state of high alert, increasing the production of stress hormones and driving up blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
- Obesity: The analysis of a nationally representative sample of nearly 10,000 adults found that those between the ages of 32 and 49 who sleep less than seven hours a night are significantly more likely to be obese. Another study in 2004 showed that people who sleep five hours a night are 73% more likely to become obese than those who sleep seven to nine hours. It is thought that sleep loss may cause the hormones that control appetite to get out of balance.
- Cancer: Several reports from the Harvard-run Nurses' Health Study that has linked insufficient or irregular sleep to increased risk for colon cancer, breast cancer. Some researchers think shift workers may be more likely to get breast cancer than other women because of their exposure to artificial light at night. Exposure to light at night can decrease levels of the hormone melatonin, which may protect against cancer.
- Diabetes: Being sleep-deprived can affect how your body processes blood sugar, and that could raise your risk of diabetes. One 1999 Lancet study of 11 healthy, young men found that after just six days of sleeping for four hours a night, their insulin and blood sugar levels were similar to those of people on the verge of diabetes.
- Accidents: You might not consider accidents a health risk. But there’s no denying a car crash can have a severe impact on your health. Lack of sleep may be the culprit in up to 20% of all serious auto accidents.
- Infection: Recent studies show that being well rested improves the body’s ability to fight off infection. A 2002 Journal of the American Medical Association study showed that men who were vaccinated for the flu after sleeping only four hours a night for six nights had less than half the flu-fighting antibodies of men who slept normally.
- Depression: Depression and sleep are closely linked: While depression can cause sleep loss, sleep loss can lead to depression. In fact, some researchers believe a cause of postpartum depression is sleep deprivation.
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