Whether you have middle insomnia or struggle to fall asleep, you already know that it is a miserable way to live. Why else would there be so many people looking for ways to fall asleep? What you may not know is that insomnia has numerous long term effects, and is actually hazardous to your health.
Accidents
One alarming, but not surprising, side effect of insomnia is that people that suffer from insomnia are much more accident prone than those who sleep normally. It is really no surprise that individuals walking around exhausted and in a fog would be able to concentrate less and have poorer response times than those who are well rested. Countless auto accidents each year are the direct side effect of insomnia. In fact, it is estimated that one in six accidents is the result of fatigue.
Illness
Research shows that individuals with insomnia are much more likely to develop chronic disease. Likely, this is the direct result of the body not having the time that it needs to adequately repair itself. A lack of sleep also impacts your hormones and can further lead to chronic illness. Insomniacs seem to be at especially high risk of developing heart disease.
Lower Quality of Life
In one research study, people with insomnia were likely to rate the quality of their life on the same level as individuals with cancer and other serious chronic diseases. Not getting enough sleep can really destroy your overall quality of life and make it difficult to enjoy anything.
Depression
Thanks to a low overall quality of life, depression is a very common side effect of insomnia. Not only is it hard to enjoy life but an ongoing lack of sleep can impact your brain chemistry and caused depression.
Obesity
There is a great deal of evidence that suggest that individuals who do not get seven to eight hours of sleep a night are much more likely to over eat. This can obviously lead to obesity if the situation continues. It seems that when you don’t get enough sleep, your hormones signal to your body to eat more. Cortisol is a stress hormone that causes hunger.
Headaches
In addition to making your feel downright miserable, not getting enough sleep can lead to moderate to severe headaches. This can cause people to become dependent on pain medication, which can begin another vicious cycle.
If you are suffering from the side effects of insomnia, it is time that you take control. Rather than run to your doctor and go on prescription medication, it is time to take control by looking for natural and easy ways to fall asleep.
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 0 comments… add one now }