2 minute read
The Consequences of Poor Sleep
Missing one night of sleep ally causes fatigue, is a normal occurrence for poor concentraindividuals around the globe. tion and reduced But what if you lack sleep on a regular memory. Stretchbasis? Or if you’re unable to obtain ing one poor quality sleep due to a sleep disorder? night into chronic Then, the consequences may be more sleep loss can Liborio Parrino, PhD serious. lead to irritability, Sufficient sleep is one of the pillars ders such as depression. of good health, along with regular exercise and a balanced diet. We charOutside physical health, poor attenacterize good quality sleep tion while driving increases as having sufficient durathe risk of motor vehicle tion, satisfactory depth, accidents. And on the job, seamless continuity and well-balanced architecture. Recurring lack of Recurring lack of quality sleep can sleep deprivation reduces work productivity. In the U.S., the economic cost of quality sleep can lead lead to insufficient sleep among the to long-term health long-term health working population is $411 risks such as hypertenrisks such as billion per year. sion, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cognihypertension, Because sleep deprivation tive alterations, and diabetes, heart shortens telomere length in possibly even cancer. disease, stroke, DNA which facilitates chacognitive otic cellular growth, it can When children are deprived of sleep, they alterations and even increase the risk of various forms of cancer. become irritable and gait disturbance. hyperactive. Since the Clinical studies suggest that major episode of growth telomere shortening may be a hormone liberation occontributing factor for breast curs in association with deep sleep, cancer risk among female shift workers sleep deprivation can lead to stunted like nurses and flight attendants. growth. One study is searching for biomarkers in saliva and hair samples If your sleep is insufficient, impaired of toddlers who are not sleeping well, by a relevant sleep disorder or of poor meaning very soon researchers could quality, the risk to jeopardize healthy have biological aging is statistically high and menacing evidence that lack and we ask that you consult a medical of sleep harms professional about better sleep. developing minds and bodies. In an adult, sleep deprivation looks mood swings, and several mental disorAntonio Culebras, MD different. It usu
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| healthiersleepmag.com
Bedtime Reads
Looking to learn even more? Each issue, we highlight one book about sleep. Check out this bestseller in sleep.
Arianna Huffington, of The Huffington Post and Thrive Global, is the author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time.
“Arianna Huffington shows how our cultural dismissal of sleep as time wasted compromises our health and our decision-making and undermines our work lives, our personal lives— and even our sex lives in this New York Times bestseller.”
