Sleep is often ignored when it comes to health, however, it is an important pillar that everyone should consider. Just as you adjust your exercise and eating habits, you should also level up your sleep. Experts of health recommend adults get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night. This will help you combat health problems, enable your body to function properly and give your body the energy it needs to get through the day. 

If you are skipping your sleep, staying out late, or indulging in bad sleeping habits, you will be hindering your health and wellbeing, and even reversing any progress that you are making during the day. It is important to become aware of your own sleeping habits and how they are hindering your health, so you can motivate yourself to make positive changes. 

Here are some of the top ways that sleep hinders your health and wellbeing. 

#1 Stress

When you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to wake up feeling stressed. This can negatively impact your mental health, and leave your brain feeling foggy when you try to do any task. When you are stressed, you will also be tense and irritable. Not only does stress impact your mind, but it also impacts your body. Your body will release stress hormones, such as cortisol into your body and trigger a variety of responses that will cause you to suffer.

#2 Medical conditions 

When you are in a stressed state for a long period of time and do not get any sleep, you can put yourself in danger of developing serious medical conditions or exacerbating existing conditions. This is because the toxic mix of chemical reactions that occur in your body when you are stressed can trigger your heart rate and blood pressure to increase above normal. It will also trigger the release of triglycerides and cholesterol into your bloodstream. Not many people are aware of the impacts of sleep deprivation on the body, but it is an important factor that should be considered. 

#3 Cognitive function

When you start to miss out on sleep, you will suffer mentally in the days to come. You will experience some cognitive effects that can be unpleasant, including a slowed reaction time, inability to focus or concentrate on normal activities, problems with attention and memory, and increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. A lack of sleep will impact your performance, which, over time, can start to impact your studying, professional career, and relationships. It can also put you at higher risk of injuring yourself or getting in an accident. 

If you are struggling with your sleep, there are many ways that you can help yourself. You can create new habits, use blackout blinds, enjoy chamomile tea before bed, or utilize alternative methods offered by The ApothecariumNJ. 

Make sure you educate yourself on how sleep can negatively impact you so that you can motivate yourself to create positive sleeping patterns. Good quality sleep will improve your health, happiness, and quality of life.