It’s easy enough to disregard the problem of not getting enough sleep. It doesn’t really feel all that serious, anyway, right? While it’s normal to find it hard to sleep every now and then, when you make a habit out of it then it’s actually a lot more serious than you might think.
The lack of quality sleep is actually more common than some people may suspect. In fact, some medical experts are worried enough to call it an epidemic. It’s not a minor matter, because the consequences can be terrible. Here are some of the bad things that can happen once you regularly don’t get enough quality sleep at night:
Your Life Span Will Shorten
Hopefully that’s alarming enough for you. One study indicated this, when researchers noted that the average life span of women who only got 5 hours of sleep at the most was decidedly shorter than the lifespan of women who got more hours of sleep.
Your Food Consumption Increases
Good luck with your diet when you’re trying to reduce your calorie intake and you’re not getting enough sleep. A study discovered that their subjects consumed more food when they had their meals, compared to when they enjoyed a good night’s sleep. That was true even when they stuck to their regular dining schedule. The average increase was a whopping 300 calories!
Your Weight Goes Up
That’s an obvious conclusion when your average daily calorie consumption goes up by 300 calories. But as it turns out, even if you do manage to limit your calorie intake you will still gain weight. That’s because your stress levels increase when you’re not getting enough sleep. When you’re under constant stress, your body reacts by slowing your metabolism, so your body ends up storing more fat instead.
You Won’t Keep to Your Work Outs
Most people know that to maintain your proper health you need a healthy diet and exercise plan. When you want to lose weight, you then have to cut down on your calorie intake while you work out so you burn of more calories and then more fat cells.
But when you’re not getting enough sleep, you end up with a distinct lack of energy. It’s no coincidence that when you get a good night’s sleep you feel refreshed and energetic. When you’re sleep-deprived, you end up staying inactive and so you don’t get to burn off the calories you consume and the fat cells in your body.
Your Blood Pressure Goes Up Too
Most people need at least anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to maintain their health properly. If you remove just one hour from your healthy sleep schedule, you’ll find that you can have problems in the long run. One study found that adults who cut their sleep time by an hour for 5 years increased their risk for hypertension by 40%. High blood pressure is serious enough to be known as the “silent killer”, as it can lead to stroke and heart attacks.
Your Brain Gets Smaller
This isn’t a metaphorical statement or an exaggeration. Research has found that this is literally true, as the brains of those with chronic insomnia have been found to be smaller and less dense in comparison to the brains of people who get enough sleep. The reduction affects the parts of the brain that has to do with making decisions, which can explain why certain sleep-deprived people make bad choices almost regularly.
Your Memory Can Get Worse
When you spend the night unable to get enough sleep throughout, you may find yourself unable to recall your day’s plans and schedules that you came up with the night before. That’s probably because you didn’t get the REM waves that you normally experience when you sleep properly. Those REM waves can enhance your creativity and memory, and you didn’t get your fair share overnight.
Your Immune System Can Weaken
It’s been found that your immune system isn’t as formidable whenever you don’t get enough sleep. That’s why insomniacs tend to be more susceptible to cold viruses.
You Feel a Lot Grouchier
Researchers regard this state as more “primitive”, as it turns out that when we don’t get enough sleep pour minds revert to a more primal state. So if you don’t get enough sleep, you’re not able to handle your emotions properly and you’re unable to respond to situations like a real adult. You become like a petulant child.
You Just Feel “Blah”
You know how this feels like. It’s similar to a low-grade hangover, when your head feels foggy and your reactions aren’t quite up to snuff. It’s like you’re a smartphone with an extremely low battery power level, and you just can’t do much at all.
All these consequences can have profound negative effects on your health. That’s why you need your sleep, and if you’re having a sleeping problem you better take it seriously! You need to sleep right and get a nice mattress like a Beautyrest Black Kate or a new Casper Mattress. Investing in a new mattress is much cheaper than hospital bills, and prevention is better than a cure.
