Most people know that not getting enough sleep can make a person cranky and low-energy. Fewer understand the true ramifications that poor sleeping habits can have on a person’s health.
Forty percent of American adults don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep every night, enforcing the fact that sleep deprivation should be a more common concern. Listed below are some of the ways that sleep deprivation can impact your overall health.
Damaged immune system
While we sleep, our bodies produce illness-fighting T-cells, and studies show that a lack of sleep can disturb this production and suppress immune function, leaving us exposed to sickness.
Higher likelihood of gaining weight
Studies have shown that people who get less than the recommended amount of sleep have a higher risk of gaining weight than those who sleep more than seven hours a night. While this may be caused by the lifestyle choices that accompany exhaustion, like skipping the gym or going out to eat, a lack of sleep can also negatively affect your metabolism. This disruption in metabolic hormones can lead to significant weight gain.
Increased risk of disease
Poor sleep can significantly increase a person’s risk of deadly diseases. The link between sleep deprivation and increased blood pressure and inflammation causes enough strain on the body to make it more susceptible to heart disease. Similarly, the altered hormone production and blood glucose levels that accompany a lack of sleep raise the chances of having a stroke and developing diabetes.
Higher stress levels
Poor sleeping habits can even affect your mental wellbeing by raising stress levels. If left unchecked, this can ultimately lead to long-term disorders such as depression or anxiety, or at least worsen their symptoms.
Ready to crawl into bed yet? Here are some tips on developing healthier sleeping habits:
- Don’t keep recycling your old bedding. Outfit your bedroom with new and quality sleep fundamentals like pillows and mattresses that will help you stay asleep throughout the entire night.
- Put your phone away. Your phone’s screen can seriously interrupt your body’s natural processes at night time, including the release of sleep hormones.
- Wear socks to bed. Warming your feet will divert the blood from your core to your extremities and lower your internal body temperature faster. Wearing cozy sleep socks should make it easier to stay cool and fall asleep faster.
When left unchecked, poor sleeping habits can cause serious medical issues. Make sure to do whatever you can to get the rest that your body and health deserve.
