The Absolute Real DANGER of Not Getting Enough Zzz’s…
Be honest. Are you sleep deprived right now? Did you sleep 7 to 9 hours last night? Are you exhausted and need to get off your device right now so you can actually hear your alarm in the morning?
We’ve all heard the stats: the CDC reports that 1 out of 3 adults is sleep deprived and get less than 7 hours of sleep a night.
Maybe you are in that category and you darn well know it. Or maybe you have done your research about the benefits of a good night’s rest and have implemented some sleep tips already.
Those wise ones who prioritize their sleep like they would brushing their teeth are on to something. So what about the third of us that don’t get enough shut eye?
Usually positive reinforcement is the way to go to produce good habits. We’ll get to that in a minute.
But first…scare time.
THE DANGERS
Your Immune System Gets Weak
A lot happens in your body when you’re asleep and that includes your immune system creating a defense force to protect against sickness. It creates those happy little antibodies and good guy cytokines that fight back against the yucky invaders that make you feel awful.
If you come down with a cold or the flu, try to think back to how your sleep habits were leading up to your illness. Yes, you might get sick regardless of your sleep time, but your likelihood of getting ill vastly increases when you don’t get enough sleep.
It Makes You Age Quicker
Lack of sleep makes your skin age. That’s because more cortisol is released when you’re tired, breaking down the collagen that makes your skin so smooth and bouncy. And no, you can’t simply reverse the effects by just dumping a load of collagen powder into your morning smoothie.
Those dark circles under your eyes and fine lines on your forehead might start breaking into an earlier residency if sleep deprivation is a frequent part of your life.
It Affects Your Mood
We’re not just talking how you might be a little grumpy the next morning after a restless night. We’re talking both short and long term.
Ever notice how you might be a little more irritable or prone to crying after only getting a few hours of shut eye? These mood changes can have an obvious effect on your professional and personal life. You might be a little quicker to brush past your spouse when you get home, yell at your dog, or be a little short with a customer who needed help.
Sleep deprivation can also have a long term effect on your mental health. Depression and anxiety can greatly increase when you cut your sleeping hours short. Lack of sleep can aggravate your symptoms, or even lead you to develop depression and anxiety symptoms you’ve never struggled with before.
You’re More Likely to Make a Dumb Decision…and Even Get Hurt Doing It
Sleep deprivation means your judgement is not at its finest and you might wander into the zombie zone. Your decision-making, problem-solving and concentration skills are all hindered. Essentially lack of sleep can turn you into one of those people you want to scream at for being dumb in a horror movie.
Getting behind the wheel of a car or working on a DIY project at your house makes things a tad scarier considering your judgement is off. The lack of sleep might create a trickle effect where you decide to watch another episode of the Great British Baking Show season that you’ve already seen instead of getting into bed. After all, watching Nadiya kill it on her showstopper that week sounds way less boring than going to bed.
You also might be more tempted to throw in that package of Oreos or liter of Pepsi into your grocery cart that wasn’t even on your shopping list, just because it sounded good at the time.
Which leads up to the next point…
You Are More Likely to Gain Weight or Have Trouble Losing It
There’s a reason why nachos sound better than celery and hummus at 11pm. When you’re lacking sleep, your hunger levels start pinging more often, and your brain is telling you it wants all the fatty, lovely goodness foods that are usually only reserved for special occasions.
Maybe you think that’s not a problem for you and you can keep your cravings under control. Remember that judgement thing we talked about? Maybe your nutrition is just lackluster in general because you aren’t getting enough protein or healthy fats as a result of poor meal planning well or grabbing whatever seems easiest.
Unfortunately these things have a way of catching up. Ultimately, you have about a 30% chance of becoming obese if you keep up the act of getting less than 7–9 hours of sleep a night.
Maybe you can keep your waistline down, but…
Your Poor Heart is Breaking
Cardiovascular disease can be one of those quiet risks that sneaks up on you. Lack of sleep can make that risk even higher. Other increased cardiovascular risks include heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and even heart failure.
A Harvard study reported that for those with existing hypertension, just ONE night of inadequate sleep can give patients elevated blood pressure the rest of the day.
Your sweet heart loves a lot of things. Show it some TLC by sharing in its love of sleep.
While we’re on the note of disease risks, go ahead and rope diabetes and stroke into that group of undesirable and sometimes deadly conditions that are increased along with the heart issues.
THE POSITIVES
Ok, so that was the scary stuff. The positive stuff? Just take everything discussed above and make it the opposite.
Yep, your likelihood of not getting sick should improve, you’re more likely to maintain a healthy weight, you’re at less risk of developing diabetes or heart issues…it really comes down to the fact that sufficient, adequate sleep is linked to a higher quality of life.
Consider your sleeping schedule and habits.
Are you getting enough hours? Do you turn off your electronics a good chunk of time before you sleep? Do you have a good mattress or a dark enough room? Do you take care of your physical and mental health to minimize stress and check for conditions like sleep apnea?
You decide if getting enough sleep is worth it. No, just because you get enough sleep doesn’t mean you’ll be free from health problems or that you will ace your classes. It doesn’t mean your depression will suddenly go away or that you will automatically start performing better at work.
Sleep is just one factor of living a higher quality life. But oh so many people underestimate just how important it is.
Let’s stop applauding functioning on a few hours of sleep as something to be proud of. Let’s start viewing our sleeping hours as sacred time that is ours to enjoy and improve.
We’ve got enough noise and distractions in our world. We need more sweet dreams and cool pillows. Just like you eat your veggies and lift those weights and take some time to breathe and relax…get your sleep so you don’t have to worry so much about the scary stuff.
*Please reach out to a certified medical physician if you have any concerns about your sleep health.*
