As much as 48% of Americans are sleep-deprived. Are you one of them? Sleep is a basic human necessity. Without it, the function of the body quickly suffers. You’ll feel fatigued, sluggish, won’t be able to remember things well, and may feel quite grumpy. Even your coordination can be affected by a lack of sleep.
The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation
Unfortunately, lack of sleep is becoming an epidemic in the U.S. Millions of people are running on less than 7 hours of sleep, the threshold for what is considered short sleep. Aside from the negative health effects, the lack of sleep is deadly dangerous. An estimated 6,000 fatal car accidents may be caused by drowsy drivers.
What Causes Sleep Deprivation?
Why are Americans so sleep-deprived? The culprit may lie in the palm of your hand. Smartphones and other devices emit blue light that can disrupt your body’s natural process for falling asleep. This light can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone necessary for sleep and can even stimulate the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which is responsible for arousal.
Next Steps:
It’s possible that with a few simple changes to your bedtime routine, you could fall asleep faster and enjoy a more restful sleep. Getting better sleep isn’t just something that would be nice so that you feel better. Your life could depend on it. If you’d like to discuss better sleep habits, give us a call!
Science Source(s):
https://www.cdc.gov/features/dsdrowsydriving/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html
