Lack Of Sleep

The Bad Effects of Having a Lack of Sleep

What are the results when you have a lack of sleep? Everyone knows how important and vital sleep is. It recharges our bodies and brains and revives our strength. But Leonardo De Vinci called sleep "a cousin of death" and only slept 15 minutes in every 4 hours and still was able to accomplish so much in his life. So, is a lack of sleep really bad for your health?

"Lack of sleep" is when you feel you haven't slept enough. So even if you had slept for 12 hours but still feel fatigued, then you have lack of sleep. Usually for most people, 8 hours of sleep is recommended everyday. According to the most current medical reports and articles, lack of sleep is very bad for you. One case shows that getting four hours of sleep a day for one week will cut back on your glucose tolerance and endocrine function. This phenomenon resembles the early stages of diabetes.

Professor Eve Van Cauter states that, "we found that the metabolic and endocrine changes resulting from a significant sleep debt mimic many of the hallmarks of aging," and added that "chronic sleep loss may not only hasten the onset but could also increase the severity of age-related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and memory loss."

Not only does lack of sleep harm the body, but it also harms brain activity. Studies from the University of New south Wales suggest that people with only six hours of sleep after 17 hours of being awake, have shown "low levels of performance to a level equivalent to that produced by alcohol intoxication." Sleep deprivation will affect the mind's ability to clear thinking, judgment, and reaction.

And be sure to check out our pages about Sleep Disorders, Sleeping Pills, Sleep Problems, and Sleep Aids elsewhere on this site.