Last week, we talked about a few of the hazards of not getting enough sleep. Unfortunately, this is a problem that far too many people struggle with in today's world.
Like many others (including myself), you've probably had the experience of feeling like you're dragging your feet just to get through the day, feeling dead-tired by dinner time, being foggy-headed at work most of the day, and downing cup after cup of coffee just to try to stay focused.
In fact, people often treat lack of sleep as something to be proud of - even as a sign of how hard they work!
But there IS a price to pay, and the guest article below discusses some of the negative consequences of sleep deficit disorder.
Regardless of the reason for it, lack of quality sleep significantly affects your health, performance, safety, and even your bank account--although you may not even realize it...
Like many others (including myself), you've probably had the experience of feeling like you're dragging your feet just to get through the day, feeling dead-tired by dinner time, being foggy-headed at work most of the day, and downing cup after cup of coffee just to try to stay focused.
In fact, people often treat lack of sleep as something to be proud of - even as a sign of how hard they work!
But there IS a price to pay, and the guest article below discusses some of the negative consequences of sleep deficit disorder.
Regardless of the reason for it, lack of quality sleep significantly affects your health, performance, safety, and even your bank account--although you may not even realize it...
Multiple Causes of Poor Sleep
The stresses of daily life can intrude upon our ability to sleep well, or perhaps we trade sleep for more work or play.
Even simple things like having your electronic devices on while you're drifting off to sleep can interrupt your melatonin and circadian rhythms.
However, it is important to realize that lack of sleep is often due to unrecognized sleep disorders.
After a typical night's sleep, a key sign is you may not feel restored and refreshed and be sleepy during the day... yet be totally unaware you are sleep-deprived or have a sleep disorder.
You might think, "It's just the stress of work or the kids," or you might have "always felt this way" and had no idea that you should feel differently.
This lack of awareness compounds the consequences, because so many people remain undiagnosed for years.
Short-Term Consequences of Sleep Deprivation
Often the consequences pile up, one on top of the other, significantly impacting your quality of life over time.
But that's not all...
Long-Term Consequences
Yet the long-term effects are far more serious. I’m talking about triggering medical illnesses like...
--> High blood pressure
--> Heart attack
--> Stroke
--> Weight gain and obesity
--> Psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders
--> Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
--> Injury from accidents
Studies show an increased mortality risk for those reporting less than either six or seven hours per night. One study found reduced sleep time is a greater mortality risk than smoking, high blood pressure, and heart disease!
Sleep disturbance is also one of THE LEADING INDICATORS of institutionalization in the elderly--severe insomnia triples the mortality risk in elderly men.
-->Which of these common sleep problems is keeping YOU awake?
You're Not Alone...
Did you know there are more than 85 sleep disorders recognized by the American Sleep Disorders Association, affecting more than 70 million Americans?
I didn't either until I started doing the research...and discovered that as many as one-third of Americans have symptoms of insomnia. However, less than 10% of those are identified by primary-care doctors. In other words, you probably haven’t told your doctor.
Sleep-related breathing disorders represent a spectrum of abnormalities ranging from simple snoring to sleep apnea. As common as they are, most cases remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Increased awareness is the first step, for us individually and the healthcare community. Incredibly, some researchers suggest sleep deprivation should be recognized with the same seriousness associated with the societal impact of alcohol.
Guest Post by David Sinick
- Creator of the Primal Sleep System
-----------------------------------------------------
Bio: When David discovered the frightening facts about lack of sleep and what it is doing to our health and well-being, he took matters into his own hands and decided to do something about this epidemic in our society. He created what has come to be recognized by many as the #1 way to overcome sleep deficit disorder - the Primal Sleep System.
The stresses of daily life can intrude upon our ability to sleep well, or perhaps we trade sleep for more work or play.
Even simple things like having your electronic devices on while you're drifting off to sleep can interrupt your melatonin and circadian rhythms.
However, it is important to realize that lack of sleep is often due to unrecognized sleep disorders.
After a typical night's sleep, a key sign is you may not feel restored and refreshed and be sleepy during the day... yet be totally unaware you are sleep-deprived or have a sleep disorder.
You might think, "It's just the stress of work or the kids," or you might have "always felt this way" and had no idea that you should feel differently.
This lack of awareness compounds the consequences, because so many people remain undiagnosed for years.
Short-Term Consequences of Sleep Deprivation
- Decreased Performance and Alertness: Losing as little as one and a half hours of sleep for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%.
- Memory and Cognitive Impairment: Daytime sleepiness impairs your memory and your cognitive ability -- your ability to think and process information.
- Stressed Relationships: Upsetting your partner's sleep patterns because of a sleep disorder can cause significant problems for the relationship--separate bedrooms, conflicts, moodiness, etc. (Yep. Been there, done that too!)
- Poor Quality of Life: You might find it hard to join in certain activities that need sustained attention, like going to the movies, seeing your child in a school play, or watching a favorite TV show.
- Occupational Injury: Excessive sleepiness also contributes to a greater than twofold higher risk of sustaining an occupational injury.
- Automobile Accidents: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.
Often the consequences pile up, one on top of the other, significantly impacting your quality of life over time.
But that's not all...
Long-Term Consequences
Yet the long-term effects are far more serious. I’m talking about triggering medical illnesses like...
--> High blood pressure
--> Heart attack
--> Stroke
--> Weight gain and obesity
--> Psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders
--> Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
--> Injury from accidents
Studies show an increased mortality risk for those reporting less than either six or seven hours per night. One study found reduced sleep time is a greater mortality risk than smoking, high blood pressure, and heart disease!
Sleep disturbance is also one of THE LEADING INDICATORS of institutionalization in the elderly--severe insomnia triples the mortality risk in elderly men.
-->Which of these common sleep problems is keeping YOU awake?
You're Not Alone...
Did you know there are more than 85 sleep disorders recognized by the American Sleep Disorders Association, affecting more than 70 million Americans?
I didn't either until I started doing the research...and discovered that as many as one-third of Americans have symptoms of insomnia. However, less than 10% of those are identified by primary-care doctors. In other words, you probably haven’t told your doctor.
Sleep-related breathing disorders represent a spectrum of abnormalities ranging from simple snoring to sleep apnea. As common as they are, most cases remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Increased awareness is the first step, for us individually and the healthcare community. Incredibly, some researchers suggest sleep deprivation should be recognized with the same seriousness associated with the societal impact of alcohol.
Guest Post by David Sinick
- Creator of the Primal Sleep System
-----------------------------------------------------
Bio: When David discovered the frightening facts about lack of sleep and what it is doing to our health and well-being, he took matters into his own hands and decided to do something about this epidemic in our society. He created what has come to be recognized by many as the #1 way to overcome sleep deficit disorder - the Primal Sleep System.
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