Why Poor Sleep Leads To Long Term Health Problems

Everyone strives to get a good night’s sleep. We all know that waking up rested and refreshed is the first key to having a great and productive day.

But for many people, chronic sleeping problems can lead to continuously miserable days when dragging feet and a wandering mind can put a serious damper on things. Let’s look at some of the ways in which chronic sleep deprivation can take its toll on your life.

Mental Function

Studies show that anyone who gets less than six or seven hours of sleep per night on a regular basis is at risk for all sorts of complications, not the least of which is decreased mental function. Sleep deprivation can lead to memory loss, a lack of concentration, and the inability to focus on the task at hand. You may have difficulty following conversations or making judgment calls under pressure.

Safety Risk

Chronic sleep deprivation also can put you at serious risk of injury. Not only could a lack of focus affect your ability to react quickly to a dangerous situation, it also could prompt you to fall asleep behind the wheel. Thousands of car accidents each year are attributed to drowsy drivers.

Overall Life

Tired people usually are cranky people. This can make it difficult to sustain relationships or behave positively in any given situation. If you are chronically fatigued, you may be short tempered, argumentative, or impatient. If you have children, your parenting skills could be lacking as you react with anger or frustration more quickly than you’d like. You may find you are losing friends and your relationship with your spouse is strained.

Long-Term Effects

In addition to these problems that result from sleep deprivation, there are many other medical conditions that could come about, such as:

•             High blood pressure

•             Stroke

•             Obesity

•             Attention Deficit Disorder

•             Heart attack or heart failure

•             Depression

Outlook

If you are having trouble sleeping or staying asleep, you might be suffering from a sleep disorder. As a result of the disorder, you might find you are developing some of the conditions mentioned above as well. When you seek help from your primary care physician, be sure to mention your sleep issues, even if the doctor doesn’t ask about them directly. Without this knowledge, he or she will be missing a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to forming a diagnosis.

Poor sleep usually leads to poor health in one way or another. By taking careful notice of your rest patterns and overall health, you might be able to solve your issues.