Sleep is important to starting your day off right.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 43 percent of Americans ages 13 to 64 seldom receive a good night's sleep. Sleeping late at night can bring about many complications, including weight gain, increased blood pressure and increased susceptibility to certain illnesses. Sleep is imperative in helping the body rejuvenate after a long day. Americans are not getting much sleep, and the consequences can be costly in money, medical bills and even your life.
Poor Memorization
During sleep, the brain gets to work storing any new information you have learned. Less than six hours of sleep disturbs this process. The result is impaired memory, where you have a hard time remembering things you have recently learned. It also becomes more difficult to remember things you learn in school or important information others tell you. Therefore, you are more likely to perform poorly on an exam than someone who has had more sleep.
Weakened Immune System
Sleep deprivation reduces your white blood-cell count. These cells are your immune system's strongest line of defense against disease and illness. This can leave you more susceptible to things such as colds and ear infections. Deprivation also decreases how much growth hormone your body produces, affecting your height. This can be especially damaging for young children, whose bodies are still growing. In some instances, sleep deprivation can even shorten your life. According to studies by U.K. and Italian academics, people who sleep for less than six hours daily are 12 percent more likely to suffer premature death than those who receive six to eight hours.
Lapses
Those operating on a few hours of sleep are more likely to fall asleep during the day. This can prove fatal for people who doze off in certain situations such as behind the wheel or working as an air-traffic controller, who is responsible for making sure planes do not collide with one another on a runway.
Metabolism
The body has a much harder time metabolizing sugar when sleep-deprived. Poor metabolization results in more sugar in the body turning to fat. Sleep-deprivation also throws off hormones that regulate hunger. As a result, you are more likely to feel hungry during the day and eat more high-calorie foods. These factors mean you have an increased chance of becoming overweight or obese .
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