Lack of sleep can negatively impact health and quality of life of humans. It is an undisputed fact that we all need proper sleep to remain healthy. Extensive studies have been conducted which suggest that lack of sleep is often the root cause of various problems such as disturbance in the immune system and even obesity.

Even losing one night’s sleep can often lead to irritability and clumsy behavior the next day. Also, it is likely that either you will feel exhausted soon or speed up due to
adrenalin. Lack of sleep for two nights can give rise to other problems such as difficulty in concentrating. The sufferer tends to commit mistakes even while performing the normal tasks. If the process continues for three nights, the person can begin to experience delusions. In medical terminology, lack of sleep is referred to as Insomnia. This is basically a sleeping disorder resulting from various factors, the most common being depression and frequent awakening during nighttime. This medical condition has several short term and long-term consequences, which are listed below:

Short term consequences of lack of sleep:
•    Drowsiness
•    Lack of alertness
•    Adverse effect on the immune system of body

Long term consequences of lack of sleep:
•    High Blood Pressure (B.P)
•    Mental Disorders
•    Depression
•    High risk of infant mortality

In order to overcome this sleeping problem, people usually elicit the help of prescription sleep aid pills. But physicians do not recommend taking these pills for too long as you can become dependent on them. Now-a-days, the problem of lack of sleep has become quite common among adults andenagers. Such people usually feel more exhausted which in turn affects their behavior and increases the chances of heart strokes and headaches. Insufficient sleep among children has an adverse effect on their academic performance.

Below are listed some of the harmful effects of lack of sleep:

Emotional Problems:

Emotional problems are mostly the outcome of stress. They have quite often
been blamed for causing problem in relationships. Many people feel irritated and sometimes enter into the state of depression. To combat this problem, the sufferer simply needs to get rid of the stress.

Anxiety & Stress:

This problem is the most common consequence of Insomnia. Anxiety and excessive stress make the person feel tired and irritable. In addition to it, the person tends to lose interest in whatever task he/she is doing. The only remedy to overcome this problem is to take sound and healthy sleep.

Diabetes and other Heart related ailments:

Insufficient sleep is the root cause of major ailments like heart attack, heart failure and obesity. Researchers have found that in many cases sleep deprivation leads to diabetes.

Remedies

By following the below stated remedial measures, anybody can overcome the problem of lack of sleep:

•    Get daily exercise
•    Try not to eat a big meal close to bed time
•    Do not drink alcohol and smoke before bed time
•    Take a natural sleep aid
•    Keep a regular sleep and waking schedule

By just doing these simple tips you are well on your way to a better night’s sleep.

Why is sleep important
Your brain needs sleep because it exercises the parts of the brain you don’t normally use. Your body needs that downtime to repair and refresh its systems.

Lack of sleep is associated with mental decline and overeating, which lead to major aging conditions. It’s important because sleep is the single most effective way to increase the amount of growth hormone in your body and growth hormone is what makes us look young.

People who sleep less than six hours a night increase their risk of viral illnesses by 50 percent. They also have an increased risk of heart disease and strokes.

Lack of sleep appears to affect hormone levels. Leptin is a hormone released by fat cells which signals the brain to stop eating. Ghrelin, a hormone made in the stomach, signals the body to continue eating. Studies have shown that in individuals who are sleep deprived (i.e. sleeping less than 8 hours per night), leptin levels are lower and ghrelin levels are higher. This combination is therefore likely to increase appetite. On top of all that, the brain interprets a drop in leptin as a sign of starvation. In order to protect itself, the body not only responds by increasing your appetite, but it also burns fewer calories.

But, that’s not all. Lack of sleep also seems to affect insulin resistance and blood glucose levels. Insulin is the hormone that lets glucose (aka blood sugar) into the body’s cells, to be burned for energy. When people are insulin resistant, the insulin does not work efficiently. This can increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

How to get a good night’s sleep

First, you have to prepare for sleep. Figure out when you want to get up, and count backwards 8 hours. Then take a 15-minute period before that to start your slowdown process. So that’s five minutes finishing up last-minute chores; five minutes of hygiene stuff, like brushing your teeth; and five more minutes to relax into sleep. Try to develop a bedtime ritual so that you start to connect these pre-bed activities (such as bathing or listening to certain music) with a winding-down sensation, and then doing them or even thinking about doing them will make you feel relaxed and sleepy.

Make sure that your sleeping environment is comfortable and conducive to sleep: quiet, dark, clean and uncluttered, with no distracting or unsettling smells. Consider earplugs, an eye mask or block-out curtains.

Avoid activities such as eating and exercising immediately before bed. Also, try to avoid taking caffeine, smoking or alcohol before bed time.

Lastly, if you are still having issues sleeping you might try taking a sleep aid supplement like SnoozeEase that contains active ingredients such as 5-Hydroxytryptophan, Valerian or Chamomile.