Getting a good night’s sleep is about much more than just feeling good during the day. Of course, when you don’t sleep well or if you try to cram too many hours into your active day, you are going to experience tiredness. Everyone knows that.

Not everyone knows that losing sleep affects your well being in many other ways. For instance, did you know that losing sleep can make you as dangerous a driver as one who is driving drunk? You may be awake at the wheel but your reflexes are slowed; your attention span is shortened; and you will be unable to think clearly and quickly. You are actually driving impaired.

If your sleep is cut short, your body does not have enough time to complete all of the phases needed for muscle repair, memory consolidation or to release the hormones that regulate growth and appetite. It is no wonder that you still feel tired and have trouble thinking clearly after a short sleep.

Losing sleep will hinder any weight loss efforts and actually be a factor in weight gain. Insufficient sleep has been linked to high blood pressure and heart problems. It also hinders your body from using insulin properly and can lead to Diabetes.

All this means that when you do not get enough sleep on a regular basis, you are putting yourself at risk for a lot of different diseases which have the potential of both shortening your life and lessening the quality of your life.

You truly owe it to yourself to find a way to get that restful sleep that you really do need.