By Alex Orlov for Life by DailyBurn
If you feel wide awake when your head hits the pillow at night, you're not alone. Approximately 60 million Americans report having experienced insomnia in any given year, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Even worse, 40 million Americans suffer from long-term sleep disorders.
Missing sleep is nothing to yawn about. "Chronic sleep deprivation has lots of negative consequences," says Sonia Ancoli-Israel, fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. She notes that the health risks associated with missed Zzs can include poor cognitive function, problems with attention and concentration, dementia and an increased risk of heart disease.
Why Every Night Of Sleep Matters
Are you getting enough shut-eye? Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night, according to Ancoli-Israel. "People are so busy in their everyday lives and something has to give. They give up on sleep rather than something else," she says.
Are you getting enough shut-eye? Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night, according to Ancoli-Israel. "People are so busy in their everyday lives and something has to give. They give up on sleep rather than something else," she says.
If you get tense and worried about not being able to sleep, your frustrated mindset could make it even harder to relax.
Even if you don't suffer from insomnia, odds are you've experienced nights when you've tossed and turned, wondering why you can't drift off. "Everyone has a bad night now and then," says Ancoli-Israel. But if you get tense and worried about not being able to sleep, your frustrated mindset could make it even harder to relax into slumber the following nights.
Even if you don't suffer from insomnia, odds are you've experienced nights when you've tossed and turned, wondering why you can't drift off. "Everyone has a bad night now and then," says Ancoli-Israel. But if you get tense and worried about not being able to sleep, your frustrated mindset could make it even harder to relax into slumber the following nights.
The consequences of missing even a few hours of sleep can be serious. Research shows that short-term sleep deprivation can cause you to crave high carbohydrate and high sugar foods. It can even make it harder to choose healthy options when grocery shopping. Plus, one sobering study revealed that drowsy drivers who had been awake for 18 hours were just as impaired as drivers who had been drinking. more
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