Sleep is often one of the first things to go when people feel pressed for time. Many view sleep as a luxury and think that the benefits of limiting the hours they spend asleep outweigh the costs. People often overlook the potential long-term health consequences of insufficient sleep and the impact that health problems can ultimately have on one’s time and productivity.Many of the costs of poor sleep go unnoticed.
Sleep plays a vital role in good health and wellbeing throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right time can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. For example, sleep is involved in healing and the repair of your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you’re sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. It’s forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information. Studies also show that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you’re sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change. Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior.
Fatigue and sleepiness can reduce productivity and increase the chance for mishaps, such as errors and motor vehicle or industrial accidents.
“Washington, D.C. (November 4, 2016) – The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recent fielding of the Sleep Health Index® (SHI) reports staggering drowsy driving statistics: Three percent of Americans, representing more than seven million drivers, reported falling asleep behind the wheel within the past two weeks. Equally alarming, results of the SHI also indicate that people only felt well-rested about four days per week.”
Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down. This makes you feel hungrier than when you’re well-rested.
Sleep also affects how your body reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose (sugar) level. Sleep deficiency results in a higher-than-normal blood sugar level, which may increase your risk for diabetes. While sleeping well is no guarantee of good health, it does help to maintain many vital functions. Sleep provides cells and tissues with the opportunity to recover from the wear and tear of daily life. Major restorative functions, such as tissue repair, muscle growth, and protein and hormonal synthesis, occur during sleep:
• Fight off infection
• Support the metabolism of sugar to prevent diabetes
• Solidify and consolidate memory
• Work effectively and safely
Persons experiencing sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity as well as from cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity.
Sleep insufficiency may be caused by broadscale societal factors such as round-the-clock access to technology and work schedules, but sleep disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also play an important role. An estimated 50-70 million U.S. adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder. Not surprisingly, these potential adverse health effects can add up to increased healthcare costs and decreased productivity. More importantly, insufficient sleep can ultimately affect life expectancy and day-to-day well-being. An analysis of data from three separate studies suggests that sleeping five or fewer hours per night may increase mortality risk by as much as 15%.
Sleep experts say there is ample evidence which shows that when people get the sleep they need, they will not only feel better but will also increase their odds of living healthier, more productive lives.
By Kristina Grabnickas, ARNP – Nurse Practitioner
