Depriving oneself of a good night’s sleep is similar to a slow death where bits of skin and limbs are gradually cut away one by one. We need to know that sleeping well is just as important as consuming a healthy diet or prioritizing our secular jobs.
It is understood that a lot of things can tamper with our natural sleeping patterns but it is then up to us to make sure that we reschedule our engagements and find time to recover lost sleep.
Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can have several negative effects on a person. Here are a few;
- It is associated with weight gain
Poor sleep is strongly associated with gain and it is also said to be a risk factor for obesity. In fact, people who get enough sleep tend to weigh significantly lower than those who don’t. If you’re therefore seeking to effectively lose weight, sleeping properly is absolutely important.
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- It can affect focus and productivity
Sleeping well is crucial for enhancing productivity, memory performance and proper brain function. Our cognition, performance, concentration and productivity can be negatively affected by inadequate rest.
- Increased risk of heart diseases
Poor sleepers are at a greater risk of having stroke or heart diseases than those who get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
- It can affect glucose metabolism and cause type 2 diabetes
Studies show that it affects blood sugar and decreases insulin sensitivity, which in turn results to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
- It is linked to depression
Sleeping disorders are discovered to be strongly associated with depression in humans.
- Increased inflammation
Poor sleep affects the body’s response to inflammation and is linked with long-term inflammation of the digestive tract.
- Social and emotional impact
Social/communication skills and the ability to recognize and process emotional information can be negatively affected by poor sleeping patterns.
In conclusion, optimal health can only be achieved with the addition of adequate sleep.