Lack of Sleep Is The Worst Thing For You - Here's Why

More accidents

Sleep deprivation has been linked to many road traffic accidents. When we don’t sleep properly or get enough of the shuteye our reaction times become slower and our judgement impaired, resulting in more mistakes.

More depression

Research says that you’re five times more likely to suffer from low mood if you have insomnia.

Sleep deprivation has been shown to lower the level of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin.

Although, studies also show that you can improve your mood with just one early night.

A shorter lifespan

Getting less than six hours’ sleep has been seen to dramatically increase the risk of death.

Consecutive studies have found a link between insufficient sleep and higher rates of many life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

A worse sex life

One quarter of adults have said their sex lives have suffered when they’re just too exhausted to perform, this according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation.

Along with this, there is evidence that impaired sleep can cause lower levels of the sex drive hormone testosterone, in men.

Unhappier relationships

Those who get less sleep have been found to be four times more likely to have relationship problems than those who get seven or more hours of sleep a night. 

These relationship problems are down to a combination of the disruptive effect on their partner’s sleep, couples being forced to sleep separately, and higher day-time irritability as lack of sleep takes it toll on a persons mood.

Higher blood pressure

One study from Harvard Business School has found that for those who normally slept for seven hours or less a night, going to bed just one hour earlier led to a significant drop in blood pressure, which then lowers their risk of heart attacks and strokes.

More wrinkles

When you have too little sleep the body produces more cortisol. When your body has this in excess it breaks down collagen, a protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic – causing more lines and wrinkles.

Estée Lauder’s director of skin biology, Nadine Pernodet, says: “At night, energy and cellular functions focus to prepare the skin to defend itself against the environment the next morning. Less sleep means less repair, and even less defence, causing more wrinkles over time.”

A bigger waistline

So strong is the sleep-weight connection, that one study found that people who slept fewer than six hours a night were almost 30 percent more likely to to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours.