Anyone who does not get at least seven hours of sleep most nights could be damaging their mental and physical health. Unfortunately, though, sleep is not regarded as a priority for many people, which means that they tend to undersleep. This is not a sustainable way to live as, over time, this can cause havoc in a number of different ways. If you want to live to your optimum for a long time into the future, you need to change your relationship with sleep. For some people, this may be difficult, such as insomniacs, but for others, it may just need an adjustment to their lifestyle. Here are some reasons why you need to sleep more:
The Central Nervous System
If you do not get enough sleep for a long enough time, you may disrupt the mechanisms which process information. Your brain will simply suffer exhaustion and begin to stop functioning correctly, and this can affect you in so many ways. First, it can upset your concentration and coordination. This can make everyday things such as driving a much more dangerous pursuit. You will begin to suffer from mood swings, and you will have less patience. You will develop things like anxiety, and stress will creep in. You will find it more difficult to make rational choices. If you suffer from chronic sleep loss, it is possible you will begin to see hallucinations and even develop some kind of mania.
Depression
Lac od sleep can vert often lead to depression. Feeling run down all the time will affect even the most positive of people and will, over time get them down. Begin tired means you are definitely not in your right mind and therefore are more prone to bouts of depression. The brain needs to be switched off through sleep to recharge and regenerate. Without it, you will develop negative mindsets. Undorutnely some people may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope. This causes a double whammy effect as drugs and alcohol reduce sleep further. Often drug rehab is required then to try and get things back to normal.
Obesity
Not sleeping enough can lead you to obesity. Feeling constantly tired can mean that some people will eat more things such as chocolate or fast food as they try to boost their energy levels. They will have that small high but then followed by a bigger crash, and a vicious cycle begins. Additionally, obesity can cause some people to wake in the middle of the night, sometimes on more than a few occasions, to snack.
The Immune System
The body goes into repair, fix and rehabilitate mode when your conscious mind is switched off. A lot of the damage from the day is repaired, and this is what helps people look younger and stay well. Unfortunately, people who suffer from a lack of sleep are more prone to coming down with colds and flues. They are also more susceptible to other types of infections too. Sleeping is essential for the body to stay fit and well.