Bah...Sleep is For Sissies

Dear readers,

We’ve all heard the term “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Perhaps we’ve said it ourselves. I know I have. Several times. It’s the familiar mantra of sleep deprived people. Most of us have either been there or currently have an extended stay there. Here's the kicker: if you don’t get proper sleep, death might knock on your door sooner rather than later. Last month I posted an infographic on sleep. This is a follow up to that post.

Picture this...

• It’s been a few days and your knuckles are dragging the ground like a caveman/woman. 
• The bags under your eyes have bags.
• You’re considering an IV drip of espresso. 
• You are on the verge of catching a cold. 
• You fall asleep during a meeting. While you are talking. 
• You forget your kids’ names. 
• If it wasn’t for social media, you wouldn’t remember what your family and friends look like. 

But there’s so much to do, you say.

Uh huh. I know, I know. But absolutely nothing is worth compromising your health. Nothing.

Many people don’t realize that just ONE day without adequate rest can lead to a number of complications. Over a longer period of time, the effects can be more severe and even lead to death. Here are some examples of the more serious effects of sleep loss:

Short Term Effects

• Decreased performance and alertness. Reducing your nighttime sleep as little as 5 hours one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%!

• Memory and cognitive impairment.

• Relationship stress.

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• Poor quality of life.

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• Higher chance of injury to oneself and/or others.

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• Drowsy driving or even falling asleep at the wheel.

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• Decrease in immunity.  

Long Term Effects

• High blood pressure.

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• Heart failure and/or heart attack.

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• Stroke.

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• Obesity.

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• Depression, paranoia, attention deficit disorder and/or other mood disorders.

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• Severe cognitive impairment.

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• Fetal and childhood growth and/or development.

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• Severe decrease in immunity. For those with compromised immune systems, this can be temporarily or permanently damaging.

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• Injury to oneself and/or others.

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• Poor quality of life.

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• Unhealthy relationships and/or problems in relationships.

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• Death.

​There’s always hope.

Recognizing that you have a problem is the first step to restoring good health!

The next is a call to your trusted medical professional. Your doctor can recommend the best plan for your individual needs. This could involve lifestyle changes and/or medication. 

So…between now and your appointment with your doctor, what can you do to get a better night’s sleep? I recommend first identifying problems that contribute to the lack of sleep, then list how these problems influence your life. When you've done that, perhaps see what could change. Having these thoughts on paper can be a life-saving eye opener. In my earlier post on sleep, there are also various helpful tips for getting a good night’s sleep.