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4 Dangers of Sleep Deprivation

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around one in three Americans suffer from sleep deprivation. People should generally get around seven to nine hours of sleep every night, and sleeping less than seven hours in a night can be considered sleep deprivation. Many people don’t realize how important it is to get enough sleep, which is why March 13th through March 19th was Sleep Awareness Week.

The Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Not sleeping enough can have significant consequences. Getting enough sleep is critical to your metabolic regulation, memory, learning abilities, and emotion regulation. Sleeping adequately is just as important as exercising. With that in mind, the following are some of the consequences of not sleeping enough:

  1. Memory issues – A lack of sleep can cause problems remembering things. That can affect individuals who are still in school and can hurt work performance as well.

  2. Depression – Not only has a lack of sleep been linked to increased irritability and stress, but it has also been linked to depression.

  3. Weakened immune system – Not sleeping enough can cause your immune system to weaken, making you more vulnerable to getting sick.

  4. Poor hand-eye coordination – People who are fatigued drive just as bad or even worse than those who are intoxicated. The CDC estimates that 1,550 deaths and 40,000 injuries related to car accidents have been caused by fatigued drivers.

How To Improve Your Sleep

If you’re not sleeping enough, then the following are a few tips that you can apply to improve your sleep throughout the night:

  1. Stop using electronic devices an hour before going to bed

  2. Maintain a routine and go to bed at the same time every night

  3. Read a book before going to bed

  4. Take a warm bath or shower before going to bed

  5. Turn off all lights when you go to bed

Sleep deprivation can cause a lot of health problems, not to mention increasing the risk of getting into an accident in California or elsewhere if you’re driving. For more health awareness tips, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.

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