According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night to function at their best. But a recent survey found that nearly one-third of Americans aren’t getting that much shut-eye. And it’s taking a toll. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It can also impair your memory and judgement and make you more accident-prone. Here are six of the worst things that can happen when you don’t get enough sleep.
You’re at risk for car accidents
When you’re tired, your reaction time slows and your judgment gets impaired. That’s why drowsy driving is so dangerous. In fact, it’s responsible for around 100,000 car accidents every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So if you’re feeling sleepy behind the wheel, pull over and take a nap or drink some coffee.
You could get diabetes
If you’re not getting enough sleep, your body may not be able to properly process insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Over time, this can lead to Type 2 diabetes. In fact, people who usually sleep fewer than six hours a night have a 50 percent greater chance of developing the condition than those who get seven or more hours of sleep, according to a recent study published in the journal Diabetes Care.
Your heart health could suffer
Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to high blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease. That’s because when you’re tired, your body produces more cortisol—a stress hormone that raises blood pressure—and less growth hormone—a substance that helps keep your arteries clear of plaque buildup.
You might catch a cold
When you don’t get enough rest, your immune system takes a hit. As a result, you may be more likely to catch a cold or other virus when someone near you sneezes or coughs. A lack of sleep can also make cold symptoms worse by causing inflammation throughout your body.
You could have trouble remembering things
Sleep helps solidify memories by giving your brain time to store what you’ve learned throughout the day. So if you’re studying for an exam or trying to learn something new, be sure to get enough rest so you can recall what you need when it comes time to take the test or use what you’ve learned.
You might gain weight
Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain in several ways: It increases levels of hunger hormones like ghrelin; decreases levels of satiety hormones like leptin; and encourages poor food choices by impairing judgement .So if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, aim for seven or eight hours of sleep each night .
Conclusion
If you want to protect your health, it’s important to get enough sleep each night .But unfortunately ,many people are not getting the recommended seven or eight hours .And as this blog post has shown ,that can have some serious consequences .from gaining weight t o increasing your risk f car accidents , not getting enough shut-eye can have a major impact on your health and well-being . So make sure tp get enough rest !Your body will thank you for it .
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