Why A Lack Of Sleep Is Unhealthy

By Joanie Cheung on September 4, 2016

It’s easy to say that everyone loves to nap or sleep and that sleep is significant.

However, contrary to the previous sentence, about 60 percent of college students do NOT get enough sleep (according to Huffington Post). A desire to start late on homework, hang with friends, or chill and stay up by doing nothing are several of the many reasons why students experience a lack of sleep.

Image via Pexels.com

I have often been playfully mocked for sleeping before midnight by my friend who sleeps past 1 or even 2 a.m. Maybe I’m writing this article for her or maybe I’m not. But I know that I’m writing this article for the sake of all my fellow college students out there.

Before starting the long list of consequences (WebMD) following a lack of sleep, I hope the severity of some of these consequences will encourage collegians to sleep more during (most of) their college years.

1. Health Risks

A number of studies have shown that a correlation between sleeping too little and developing health diseases exists with consequences ranging from changes to your body’s control of appetite-regulating hormones to lower melatonin levels.

•Cardiovascular disease

•Obesity

•Cancer

•Diabetes

2. Insomnia

Sleeping later does not mean one can stay asleep longer, quite possibly due to everything that is happening in the background. For example, it is noted that people working during the night sleep less than those working during the day.

Accidents/Slower reaction time: Being tired increases the risk of hurting yourself or other people in big or small accidents. “Drowsy driving” takes the lives of approximately 1,550 people as claimed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Medical Daily)

3. Unclear Mind

This often coincides with a decrease in efficiency, vigilance, and decision-making skills due to fatigue.

4. Crankiness

Being tired from sleeping too little often makes people become short-tempered with the people around them, causing conflict or misunderstandings.

5. Better Memory

Brains will not be able to collect memories made from the previous day and it will also develop memories that have never been made. (Weird, right?)

As read from above, frequent late nights will take a toll on one’s health. I know that it is inevitable for college students to sleep late or pull all-nighters, but it is also up to them to decide how many nights they are going to stay up. Start practicing sleeping earlier since the college year has just begun! Maybe then will you have the power to stay up during your lectures!

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