Risks of Not Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is free right? That may be what we have heard people say when they are trying to convince us to get more of it. Those of us who have worked the night shift and have families or other obligations may disagree. As we all know time is precious, because we need more of it in our day we may be cutting our sleep down to make room for things we see as more important such as  work, kids, house cleaning, etc.

            There are studies showing (done by people who also need more sleep) what can happen to our bodies and especially our minds when we lack sleep that is needed. Every one of us is different, some may need as little as 6 hours a day and others may need 10 hours. We have all experienced sleep-deprivation starting with the first signs of moodiness and irritability. This is when we should pay attention to our bodies. Psychologists and scientists who have studied sleep patterns have noticed that a lack of sleep can directly or indirectly cause abnormalities in several systems in your body from the central nervous system, immune system, cardiovascular, and metabolic systems.  Epidemiological studies suggest self-reported sleep complaints are associated with an increased relative risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Less sleep can also affect decision making skills. We want to stay healthy, but if our body does not get the rest it needs we are more susceptible to come down with colds, catch the flu or many other diseases.                                                                                                                              

            Twenty percent of the population are night shift workers, about 60 to 70 percent of those workers have difficulty sleeping and/or problem sleepiness. They are one of the leading groups of people who are at a higher risk than others for sleep deprivation. One study shows that shift workers are two to five times more likely than employees with regular, daytime hours to fall asleep on the job. Working at night can be hard enough getting a sleep schedule in order, but when the majority of the population is asleep and the world runs on a daytime schedule, things may seem more out of whack to them. There are many reasons night workers do not get enough sleep,  once they leave work they may have things they need to do like take care of the children who are just getting up or running errands because everything may be closed after they get their sleep or some have classes to attend.  Many night shift workers have families who are probably on a different schedule then they are. When night workers get off work they may have a hard time falling asleep because others are getting up or they want to spend time with family.                        

           Another problem for all people is stress.  According to the sleep experts, stress is the number one cause of short-term sleep difficulties. There are many forms of stress that can plague sleep from our jobs, school, marriage, family or illnesses. Another health risk associated with not getting enough sleep that has been increasing over the years are traffic accidents.  According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research and reports from the National Highway Safety Administration, car crashes can be attributed to a severe lack of sleep.  According to the Department of Transportation, up to four percent of all highway crashes are due to sleepiness, especially in rural areas. So keep in mind why sleep can be so important, from functioning properly to keeping us safe sleep works with our bodies to make sure everything runs smoothly.

References

National Sleep Foundation (2010). Retrieved from
            http://www.sleepfoundation.org/

American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2010). Retrieved from
            http://www.aasmnet.org/

American Insomnia Association (2010). Retrieved from
            http://www.americaninsomniaassociation.org/

Sleep Research Society (2010). Retrieved from
            http://www.sleepresearchsociety.org/