With people multi-tasking and being hounded by 1001 possible things to do at night more and people are getting to sleep less and less. A few days without getting the oft recommended 6 to 8 hours of sleep is generally not a cause of worry. But chronic sleep loss needs serious attention and sleep disorder treatment because frequent sleep deprivation has serious repercussions on the state of our health. High blood pressure, weight gain and a weakened immune system are but a few of what lack of sleep can bring you.
More and more studies seem to be proving that there is indeed a link between chronic sleep loss and an individual’s health. The Harvard Women’s Health Watch has highlighted six reasons why getting enough sleep is important. Here they are:
a. Sleep has a positive effect on learning and memory because sleep helps store new information to memory through the process of memory consolidation. This is supported by studies that show that people who slept after being taught a new task did better in tests later.
b. Lack of sleep triggers weight gain by interfering with how our bodies process and store carbohydrates and by increasing the level of hormones that affect appetite.
c. Sleep deprivation negatively affects mood. A person suffering from chronic sleep loss tends to be irritable, impatient and unable to concentrate. Too little sleep will render a person too tired to do things they like and that could lead to frustration.
d. Lack of sleep can also compromise a person’s safety. Lack of a good night’s sleep will make us prone to fall asleep during the day and this may lead to accidents.
e. Serious sleep loss has been linked to vascular disorders like hypertension and irregular heartbeat. Our level of stress hormones likewise increases when we lack sleep.
f. Lack of sleep has a direct negative effect on our body’s immune function. We become more prone to diseases when we are deprived of sleep for long periods.
Sleeping Like a Baby 
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