Sleep reduces stress, and when you go for long periods without healthy sleep your body will respond by entering a state of stress. Here the body’s functions will be put on ‘alert’ much as they are during the fight-or-flight response and you’ll find a further rise in blood pressure and in your heart rate. This again puts your body at greater risk of heart attack or stroke, but additionally will make it even more difficult to get to sleep due to the presence of adrenaline in your system (part of the stress response). This can lead to a vicious cycle, making difficult breathing only one of the problems preventing you from dozing back off. The stress hormone also raises inflammation in the body which again puts you at risk of heart conditions as well as cancer and even diabetes. Inflammation has also been suggested to play a role in the aging process, which combined with your lack of growth hormone will really add up to rapid ageing.

We’re all also aware that sleep helps with alertness and concentration. If you find yourself lacking sleep you will probably find it hard to focus on a task or perform to the best of your ability. While this can be damaging for your career, academic life etc etc, it can also be dangerous – leading you to make silly mistakes that you wouldn’t normally. This is true particularly if you are in charge of machinery or a vehicle…which is why it’s recommended to take breaks and drink tea when driving. What might seem like a frustrating lack of sleep may, in fact, prove to be fatal on the road.

Sleep also improves our memory through a process called ‘memory consolidation’. During this time the brain strengthens the neural connections made during the day making them more easily accessible in future. This is why when you’re studying for an exam or presentation it’s important to get a good night’s sleep the night before – which will be tricky if you suffer from sleep apnea. Sleeping may even make you smarter through this process and in the long run may raise your IQ.

We all also know that sleep improves your mood. Ever heard of “getting out of the wrong side of bed”? Well that’s every morning if you suffer from conditions that prevent you from sleeping. This can lead to a short temper which can create stress in relationships, but even worse can lead to depression by impacting the balance of hormones in the brain such as the feel-good hormone serotonin. Lack of sleep can also lead to you gain weight due to chemical imbalances – in particular through the disruption of the hormones ghrelin and leptin which are crucial for the regulation of appetite.

In short then, difficulty sleeping will result in a wide variety of health issues including potential heart problems, mood disorders, slow healing, rapid aging, weight gain, cancer and diabetes. While not all of these will affect everyone it shouldn’t be a risk you take lightly – if you’re suffering from sleep apnea and getting less than eight hours sleep a night then seek professional intervention.

Use All Day Medical for medical supplies to aid with sleep disorders. Find CPAP machines and more.