The Dangers of Getting Too Little Sleep
We all know that we need sleep. When we don’t get enough, we feel tired, cranky, achy, and various other negative ways. It simply doesn’t suit our physical or mental health to do without our precious sleep. Even though we know we need it, most of us don’t get enough. We either have too much going on, too much stress, or just have really bad sleeping habits. Whatever the case may be, it is definitely time to make sleep a priority again. Take a look at these 3 reasons that sleep is one of the most important aspects of life.
Your Immune System Suffers
Sleep affects the central nervous system, and the central nervous system affects every other component of the body. When we don’t get enough sleep, our immune systems tend to take a hit. This means that you will be sick more often with less ability to fight off such illnesses. The colds and viruses that you may otherwise be able to avoid may hit you harder and stick around longer. In order to stay healthy, you have to make sleep a serious priority every day.
You Lose the Ability to Concentrate
Similarly to the way that sleep makes the immune system weak, it also damages concentration. When the central nervous system suffers, messages are not sent or received properly meaning that we may find it really difficult to pay attention and focus. You may have experienced this before after a night of little sleep. Over a long period of time, this can become so permanent that you don’t even realize that a problem is present.
It Leads to Death
Ok, this is pretty extreme, but it is absolutely true. When you don’t get enough sleep, it can literally lead to death. Keep in mind that this means a serious lack of sleep over a long period of time, and this doesn’t apply to most of us. It does, however, show the importance of sleep. Though lack of sleep or adequate amounts of sleep may not kill you instantly, there is research to suggest it can be linked to shortened life spans and a lower quality of life.
Getting enough sleep is definitely something that many of us have trouble doing. To help yourself out and avoid these pesky health concerns, make yourself a bedtime, avoid caffeine, and get some much needed rest. Before long, you will improve your health, both physically and mentally, and feel better about life in general.