There’s a whole world of difference between getting a proper night’ sleep and one that’s just too short. Getting enough sleep at night leaves you refreshed and energized the next day. Meanwhile, a night of insufficient sleep usually leaves you fatigued and even irritable. If you have been experiencing persistent loss of sleep, you might want to take note of the serious health risks that it can bring about.

Sleep Issues Revealed

There are a number of sleep issues that most people suffer from. Among these are:

Chronic Insomnia – This is when a person suffers from an inability to nap or sleep at any time. the condition can be caused by depression, anxiety, stress, environmental factors, as well as a host of other medical disorders.

Sleep Deprivation – Usually pinpointed to cause sleepiness. This usually happens when you don’t give yourself enough time to sleep at night.

Fatigue – Sufferers will generally feel tired. Most will experience low energy and are often connected to insomnia.

Other specific disorders concerning sleep include narcolepsy and sleep apnea among others.

Getting Enough Sleep

While a lot of people don’t think much about not getting enough sleep all the time, it actually exposes you to more serious health risks. If you’re wondering how many hours of sleep is considered good enough, it is required for most adults to get at least eight hours every night. Adolescents and children will need more.

Sleep is crucial because it is crucial for learning and memory. When you sleep, unhealthy proteins are discharged from your brain to ensure its proper function. When you sleep, the brain gets the chance to restore itself. Just think of it as housekeeping to keep everything clean and in an optimal state.

When you’re not getting enough sleep, you can immediately experience the effect it will have on your body. For instance, your ability to stay alert and awake may be impacted when you experience sleep deprivation for a short-term. Unfortunately, when you’re not fully alert, you might become more prone to accidents.

Health Hazards Caused by Insufficient Sleep

There are studies that establish a link between lack of sleep and some serious health concerns including:

  • Heart Diseases – When you’re not getting enough sleep, your blood pressure could get elevated, which can put you at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
  • Obesity – Individuals who are getting less than 6 hours of sleep will likely have a higher BMI or body mass index. According to researchers, this could be due to how the hormonal balance in the body gets upset as a result of a lack of sleep.
  • Immune Function – Substances that are released by the immune system when warding off infection are known to cause fatigue. This is why, when you sleep longer, you recover from illnesses faster too.
  • Depression – Chronic sleep problems are correlated with anxiety, mental stress and depression.
  • Diabetes – Most people who suffer from sleep deprivation are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This is mainly due to how slower glucose is processed among sleep-deprived individuals compared to those that are getting normal sleep hours.

If that’s not enough to encourage you to get more sleep, there are studies that revealed those who are getting around 8 hours of sleep at night are more likely to live longer than those who are getting less. It may be time for you to start developing some healthy sleep behaviors. Also, if your inability to get enough sleep may be due to an underlying medical problem, seeking the advice of your physician would help immensely.