How many times have you heard people say "I need my eight hours sleep?" And how many times have you heard other people say "I can get by on little sleep." Which of these would you consider the most socially acceptable statement? Furthermore which is the safest for the person making the statement and those they come into contact with?

The sensible answer is that eight hours a night sleep not only leads to a healthier life, it also makes the person more alert and thus safer to be around. Sleep deprivation can have severe adverse consequences in many areas of life.

1. Medical

Medically, going without sleep can cause a number of different problems. It reduces the body's ability to refresh itself and the brains ability to rest. As a result this can increases the risk of stress and depression related illnesses and even physical health illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, as it imbalances the hormones, there is a tendency to eat more during waking periods, which means that the loss of sleep time can contribute to potential weight problems as well.

2. Relationships

Because lack of sleep has a tendency to make people more irritable and short tempered, it can cause immeasurable damage to family and other relationships. There is only so much verbal abuse that a close loved one or family will take from someone who, because of lack of sleep, before they say "enough is enough." Thus, if it continues, the likelihood is that upon waking from one of their regular short sleep periods, the person who is depriving themselves of sleep could find that they have been left on their own.

3. Work

It has been proven in numerous studies that people who have been deprived of sleep are significantly less productive in the workplace and that their powers of concentration and other work abilities will be seriously impaired. Similarly, they are more accident prone as they become less careful and safety conscious. .

4. Driving

Studies have also shown that in terms of driving and safety, sleep deprivation has a dramatic impact. Semin Nurol (2005). Revealed that in the US sleep deprivation related accidents cost the country between $43 and $56 billion dollars annually.

The same report showed that sleep deprivation related accidents also have a fatality level that is almost on a par with the drink related accident levels. In fact in his report, in his report Semin Nurol (2005), stated that the impact of sleep deprivation on the person was very similar to excess alcohol in terms of the effect that it has on the human mind and body. It therefore has the same degree of being a lethal combination to have a sleep-deprived person behind the wheel of a car as it is to have a drunk.

Thus I would ask those of you who may be tempted to deprive yourself of sleep to read this article to do the author, yourself, family, friends and those you will come into contact with tomorrow, a favour. Shut this down and get your good eight hours sleep. It will still be here to read tomorrow. But, if you deprive yourself of sleep to read this and other articles, someone else may not be here tomorrow.

Sources:
National Agency Safety Database
Semin Neurol. 2005;25(1):117-129
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/503105_2

Learn more about this author, Paul Lines.
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