Millions of people in the United States are actually suffering from a condition called insomnia. Although most cases of insomnia, which is defined as the inability to achieve sufficient sleep, are temporary, there are numerous cases wherein individuals suffer from sleep deprivation for a prolonged period of time.
Missing sleep for a day or two is not really something that could drastically affect your health. Most probably, your body will be able to recover from this temporary sleep deprivation within a few days. However, your body might find it more difficult to recover from chronic insomnia. As a result, people who suffer from inability to achieve adequate sleep for a couple of weeks or months may already be at risk of developing certain types of serious diseases or conditions.
Many people could really care less about whether they sleep soundly at night or not. However, if only they knew that they are jeopardizing their emotional, mental and physical health by skipping sleep, they would probably not trade hours of watching television, playing videogames, or finishing a book for the right amount of deep snooze. If you still remain unconvinced of the ill effects of insomnia, you should continue reading.
Cognitive And Motor Skills Impairment
Inability to concentrate or focus and forgetfulness or memory lapses are just some of the adverse effects of insomnia. In fact, even those who only missed a night or two of restful slumber may already experience fuzzy memory on top of a splitting headache.
For those who lack adequate sleep for a long time, memory gaps become more common. Furthermore, motor skills required in activities like driving or operating a machine may also start to be compromised. If you work with machineries or drive a vehicle at work, you should make sure that you are well-rested every night. Many sleep-deprived individuals find themselves in the middle of accidents. You do not want to lose a finger or get into a car crash just to be reminded of the importance of sleep.
Metabolic Problems
Another common side effect of chronic sleep deprivation is metabolic problems, which can result to diabetes and obesity. According to a study, people who usually do not have adequate sleep at night are at a higher risk of being overweight and obese than those who sleep soundly every time.
Diabetes is another metabolic problem that is linked to sleep deprivation and obesity. A study conducted by the University of Chicago found that individuals who were unable to sleep soundly at night have a problem processing sugar in their body the following day. Thus, if you keep on depriving yourself of sleep, you would likely develop diabetes even if you have a healthy diet.
Weak Immune System
Experts also believe that there is a link between sleep deprivation and weak immunity against diseases and infections. It is no wonder that people who are suffering from insomnia, no matter how temporary, are more prone to catching colds, flu and other microbial infections.If your sleep woes are not complications or symptoms of other serious illness, you can actually make use of sleep aids in order to promote restful sleep. The most common sleep aids available in the market that are effective against temporary to mild insomnia include sleep masks, aromatic oils, and natural-based sleep supplements such as Somulin. If you want to know how Somulin works, simply go to