You must have heard health professionals and sleep researchers talk about the importance of sleep and the consequences of insufficient sleep.

The truth, however, is that quality sleep is as important as the food you eat, the exercise you do, and your business.

It goes beyond saying that sleep affects your mental and physical health as well as emotional well-being. Therefore, it is important that you devote more time to quality sleep.

There is no need to go into the science of sleep, what we all know is that sleep is a state of reduced awareness or consciousness.

You may be doing yourself and society more harm than good by depriving yourself of enough sleep. In this article, you will find out the medical and non-medical benefits of sleep as well as dangers associated with sleep deprivation.

7 Top Benefits Of Sleep

Several medical studies have linked the quality of a person's life to their sleep quality. It has been found that those who sleep more are healthier and productive compared to those who do not get enough sleep.

The benefits of sleep are inexhaustible, but below is a list of top benefits.

Sleep reduces the risk of diseases.

It boosts productivity.

Sleep improves sexual performance.

It improves mental health.

It enhances the immune system.

Reduces the risk of accidents and injuries.

Sleep improves the quality of life.

Consequences Of Not Getting Enough Sleep

The benefits of healthy sleep are priceless; the implications of sleep deficiency or sleep deprivation are huge.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends 7-8 hours of sleep for adults and 9 hours or more for children. What statistics say about the percentage of Americans that do not sleep well is worrisome.

Data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that 7-19 percent of adult Americans are not getting enough sleep. The CDC also reported inadequate sleep among all age groups.

Lack of sleep has economic, social, and health downsides. The effects may be far-reaching on your body and mind. It's sometimes costly.

Broadly, the consequences of lack of sleep can de be divided into health and non-health risks.

Health Risks Associated With Sleep Deprivation

Generally, sleep deprivation causes ill-health. Scientists have linked poor sleep to the higher risks of many diseases.

Short sleep duration has been found to increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Women who do not get enough sleep are at higher risk of having breast cancer.

Conclusively, poor sleep contributes to disease development in male and female

Non-Health Risks

Lack of sleep causes fatigue and daytime sleepiness which increases the risk of accidents.

A study published by the Oxford University Press USA indicates that drowsiness contributes significantly to road accidents. This finding has been corroborated by National Sleep Foundation.

Loss of productivity and property damage at the workplace are the consequences of inadequate sleep. A 2016 research conducted by RAND indicates that workers who sleep less than 6 hours per day suffer higher productivity loss than those sleeping between 7-9 hours per day.

Sleep deprivation affects decision-making, concentration, and memory negatively.

Why Is Sleep A Worthy Investment?

Many of us believe the myth that links success to lesser sleep. This is not true scientifically.

A 2016 research by RAND titled "why sleep matters: the economic cost of insufficient sleep" revealed that lack of sleep among the US working population costs the US economy $411 billion per year. The study showed that the US loses 1.2 million working hours per year due to sleep deprivation.

It was projected that increased nights of sleep could add about $226 billion to the US economy. Isn't sleep a good investment?

You may also reduce the money you spend on health issues caused by a lack of sleep by getting enough sleep. It's not a good idea to spend your savings on avoidable problems when all you need to do is to get proper sleep daily.

You would also save your business some funds by preventing property damages caused by sleepiness at work.

How Can I Improve My Sleep?

The first and most important step to maximizing the benefits of quality sleep is to get enough sleep. There are many sleep tips that you may also adopt.

You may choose to practice the following tips:

Develop a sleep schedule and stick to it.

Avoid large meals before bedtime

Avoid stimulants and alcoholics before bedtime

Make your room conducive

Put your gadgets away.

It's okay to use sleep medicine if recommended by your doctor. However, abuse of it is bad. The mattress you sleep on as well as your sleep position matter. Begin to sleep more.