Effects of Lost Sleep

Is there such a thing as making up for lost sleep?

If it’s an office emergency requiring just one all-nighter, or a single bout of insomnia, then sleeping longer the next day should restore alertness.  But if sleep deprivation is persistent, studies suggest that your body’s ability to make up for you – no matter how much you sleep in – may be damaged.

Does lack of sleep cause any other problems besides being drowsy at your desk?

Several large studies have linked sleep deficit to poor work performance, driving accidents, relationship-problems, anger and depression.  More recent research has shown that chronic sleep loss can lead to heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

“People just don’t realise how important sleep is,” says Carl Hunt, director of National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health in the US.  “Sleep is just as important for overall health as diet and exercise.”

This article first appeared in NATURA magazine issue No.2. Find NATURA at Eu Yan Sang retail outlets, newsstands and major bookstores in Singapore.