No matter your age, consistently getting enough shuteye is key to your physical and mental wellbeing. Failing to get the recommended amount of sleep (around eight hours per night for adults) can negatively impact your social and work life in several ways, in addition to putting you at a heightened risk of developing certain illnesses.
Read on to discover why sleep is so important and the potential consequences of consistently getting insufficient sleep.
Poor Sleep Can Hurt Productivity
Failing to get enough sleep will leave you feeling fatigued the next day, and you’ll likely find yourself struggling to concentrate. This can significantly reduce your productivity and cause you to fall behind at work or in your studies, which in turn may leave you feeling stressed out and may exacerbate any sleep problems you have.
Links to Depression
Studies have found there to be a link between poor sleep and depression, in addition to other mental health issues. This usually only starts to become an issue if you get insufficient sleep for a prolonged period of time.
Poor Sleep is a Risk Factor for Obesity
People who don’t get enough sleep on a consistent basis are more likely to gain unwanted pounds than those who get at least eight hours of sleep per night, according to research.
Other studies have found insufficient sleep to be a major risk factor for obesity.
There are numerous potential explanations as to why poor sleep leads to weight gain. For instance, it has been suggested that hormonal imbalances and reduced motivation to exercise are responsible for this link.
Heightened Risk of Developing Other Illnesses
Poor sleep isn’t just a risk factor for obesity and other weight-related conditions – it also puts you at a heightened risk of developing several other illnesses, such as heart disease.
A lack of sleep also increases the likelihood of you having a stroke.
Specifically, studies have found that people who sleep fewer than seven or eight hours each night are at a much greater risk of having a stroke.
Social Impact
In addition to adversely impacting your work life, education, and health, poor sleep can also have devastating consequences on your social life and your relationships with loved ones.
This is because failing to get enough sleep on a consistent basis is likely to make you moody and irritable, which can in turn put a strain on your relationships with friends, family, and your partner.
Furthermore, studies have found that poor sleep can negatively affect our ability to recognize social cues and process relevant social information, such as facial expressions.
So, How Can You Avoid The Consequences of Insufficient Sleep?
If these 5 consequences of poor sleep concern you, there are many things you can try that may improve your sleep. Improving your exercise routine, diet and nighttime habits are all important. Improving even one of these life skills can dramatically improve your sleep. We recommend you stay away from prescription sleep medication as they can do more harm than good but there are natural sleep aids that can help you sleep without the negative side effects that come with prescription medications like Ambien.
A Quick Summary
- Consistently getting enough sleep is important to our mental and physical wellbeing.
- Adults should aim to get around eight hours of sleep each and every night.
- Poor sleep can have countless negative implications on your social and work life, in addition to your health.
- For example, consistently getting insufficient sleep puts you at a heightened risk of certain illnesses, such as obesity and heart disease.
- Furthermore, poor sleep can slash your productivity at work or in your studies.
- It can also hurt your ability to socialize and damage your relationships with loved ones, as you may become more irritable as a result of not getting enough shuteye.