Sleep is important.
Vitally important.
It's thought that the ideal sleep duration is between seven and eight hours per night. So what happens when you regularly fail to get enough sleep?
Bad things.
Here are just a few of them:
Those who sleep for less than 6 hours are far more likely to fall asleep whilst driving.
A lack of sleep has also been linked to higher rates of smoking, reduced levels of physical activity and obesity.
If you get less than seven hours of sleep each night, you're three times more likely to catch a cold. If you get by on less than six hours, you'll experience impaired memory, slower reaction times and poorer cognition.
Things can get even more serious - insomnia has also been linked with hypertension, weight gain, diabetes and a compromised immune system. These conditions can then lead to complications such as stroke, heart failure, kidney disease and even death.
Insomnia has also been linked with thoughts of suicide.
Insomnia isn't something to be ignored.
Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
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Last updated: May 1, 2013
