The Effects of Sleep Deprivation

A lack of sleep is linked to over a dozen side effects. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have the following:

Short Term Effects

• Drowsiness
• Sudden mood swings
• Loss of short-term memory
• Loss of capacity to create, plan and carry-out activities 
• Loss of concentration

Long Term Effects

• Obesity
• Premature aging
• Fatigue
• Increased risk of infections, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal disease
• Chronic memory loss

Each of these conditions can be very serious. Sleep is one of the most important ways that we protect our health, but we also have to have the right type of sleep to be as healthy as possible.