Is Sleep Really That Important?

The importance of sleep is often overlooked. Sleep is essential for good health. But, how seriously do we take it? Do you prioritize sleep, making sure you are getting an adequate amount so that you are functioning at your best? Our sleep needs vary with some people needing less and others needing more sleep. Whatever the number of hours of sleep you need each night, be sure to make it happen as often as possible. Life does get in the way at times and some nights we don’t get our desired sleep time. However, if this becomes the norm and sleep is consistently lacking, your physical, emotional, and social well-being can be negatively affected. Below we will discuss a few potential problems that can occur when the importance of sleep is ignored.

The Importance of Sleep & Health Concerns

Lack of quality sleep has been linked to the development of certain cancers. Some studies show that shorter sleep cycles may have a link with breast and colorectal cancers. Research is ongoing but consistently shows poor sleep does have an overall negative effect on well-being. Additionally, heart health can be affected when you do not get enough sleep. Problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, high cholesterol, and stroke can result from inadequate sleep.

Relationship Problems

Putting the importance of sleep at the bottom of your prioritization list can also affect your relationships. When you are tired, cranky, and irritable, people will not want to be around you. If you are not sleeping well, you can cause your partner to have poor sleep too. This can cause tension and fighting.

Injuries

Sleep deprivation causes sluggish thoughts and an inability to think straight. Your brain can not act or react in the way it does when it has proper sleep. Mistakes increase, you become clumsy, and your impaired cognition can lead to accidents while driving or while at work.

If you find you are suffering from sleep deprivation, please seek help from your medical provider.