It's a well-documented issue: Experts like The National Sleep Foundation recommend adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, but data suggests that large numbers of American adults are falling way short of that, clocking six hours or less per day. The reasons for changing that are myriad. Lack of sleep has been tied to serious problems, like diabetes, obesity and accidents, prompting the Centers for Disease Control to say that sleep is "increasingly recognized as important to public health."
If that's not enough to convince you to make sleep a priority, try this -- our list of 11 new reasons that emerged in 2011 showing exactly how important sleep is for your health. Take a look, then take a moment (or more) to contemplate how you can better work those crucial resting hours into your day-to-day routine. It's so worth it.
It Affects Your Sex Life
Sleep loss reduces testosterone levels in males, according to a review of the existing scientific literature published back in October. It looked at how sleep disruptions are tied to sexual function in men. The takeaway? According to HuffPost blogger and board certified sleep specialist Dr. Michael J Breus who covered the study, men struggling with sexual function problems should have their sleep checked out by their health care practitioner right away. Breus added that women's sex lives can also be affected, and should have their sleep evaluated by a pro if they're concerned.
Too Little Is Bad For Your Blood Pressure
Not getting enough deep sleep? Well, that could contribute to high blood pressure in the longterm, an American Heart Association study found. Health.com broke it down back in August: Among nearly 800 men age 65 and older, those who spent less than 4 percent of their sleep time in the most restorative or "slow-wave" phase had 83 percent higher odds of developing hypertension than those who got plenty of those deep ZZZs.
It Helps Kids Fight Obesity
As WebMD reported, a National Sleep Foundation study published in the journal Pediatrics found that kids who get too little sleep (and don't make up for it on the weekends) were more likely to be obese. WebMD explained: "Compared to children who slept about 9 hours a night, children who slept an average of 7 hours and had the most irregular sleep patterns had a fourfold greater risk of being obese..."
It Improves Your Marriage
As Health.com reported back in June, a small study suggested that when women don't get enough sleep, it takes a toll their marriage, causing tension between a husband and wife. Interestingly, the study found that when men skimp on sleep, it doesn't affect their relationships.
It Curbs Teens' Diabetes Risk
Getting eight-and-a-half hours a night can help obese teens reduce their risk of developing diabetes, a small study published in the Diabetes Care Journal found. The authors said that regular sleep is essential to keeping insulin and glucose levels at the optimal, healthy balance.
It's A Time To Learn New Skills
As our UK counterparts recently reported, a study from the New Scientist found that lucid dreamers are capable of learning while they sleep. "The researchers are looking at how to train people with new skills by manipulating their dreams and implanting new ideas," HuffPost UK wrote. "They hope this could be used to improve a person's social control and decision-making abilities."
Too Little Hampers Safety
This one is a little cop-specific, but a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that nearly 40 percent of police suffer from sleep disorders, which results in administrative errors as well as on-the-job accidents and falling asleep at the wheel. But it's not just cops that have sleep problems. Air traffic controllers have been falling asleep on the job, too, prompting Dr. Charles Czeisler, chief of sleep medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, to tell AP that 30 percent to 50 percent of night-shift workers report falling asleep at least once a week while on the job.
It's Costly Not To
A study released this fall found that almost a quarter of Americans have some form of insomnia and that has serious implications for the lagging economy -- costing the U.S. nearly $63 billion in lost productivity every year.
More ZZZs May Make You More Ethical
As Harvard Business Review reported over the summer, a Virginia Tech researcher recently conducted a study showing that people who cheated on a test "in order to gain financial advantage" slept an average of 22 minutes less the previous night than non-cheaters. Which means that getting a good night's sleep may lower your chances of doing something sneaky or unethical.
Skimping May Up Fibromyalgia Risk
As Breus also recently wrote, a new study from Norway found that women who had regular trouble sleeping had almost 3.5 times greater risk of fibromyalgia -- the disorder that results in muscle pain and fatigue -- when compared to those without. "It's important to make clear that this study does not prove that sleep deficiencies cause fibromyalgia," Breus wrote. "What it does do -- for the first time -- is establish a strong connection between sleep problems and fibromyalgia, by showing the increased risk of fibromyalgia that is associated with lack of sleep."
Serious Deprivation = Serious Problems
As The Guardian reported, prolonged sleep deprivation may up the risk of stroke or heart-disease. Participants who slept fewer than six hours per night and had "disturbed sleep" had a 48 percent greater chance of heart disease and a 15 percent greater chance of stroke, according to the paper. The moral? Sleep problems and sleep deprivation are serious problems and should be treated as such, so seek out professional help if you have concerns.
Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab join forces to recap the draft in the best way they know how: letter grades! Fitz and Frank discuss all 32 teams division by division as they give a snapshot of how fans should be feeling heading into the 2024 season. The duo have key debates on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and more.
