The NHS estimated one in three of us has trouble sleeping but what impacts can this have on our overall health?
It is common to have difficulties sleeping with reasons including stress, electronic devices and taking work home all factors that can prevent us getting our daily recommended hours. The general requirements for a good sleep is a full eight hours but some of us actually need more while others can work with less.
The NHS said: "As a general rule, if you wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap, it's likely that you're not getting enough sleep."
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Lack of sleep obviously can leave you feeling tired but continued poor sleep leaves you at risk of serious medical conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Lack of sleep also shortens life expectancy.
The NHS said getting enough sleep has so many positive benefits, from increasing your sex drive and boosting mental wellbeing to helping you stay slim and increasing fertility. Here is how continued poor sleep can affect you.
What happens after one week of poor sleep
The French Bedroom Company looked at the effects of poor sleep over time, finding that one night of bad sleep doesn't have any lasting issues, although if you suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) you may find you have elevated levels for the next day.
After two to three nights of poor sleep, you could experience impaired memory, decreased motor skills and anxiety. It can also play havoc with your hormones causing your emotions to feel all over the place.
You may also start to look very tired as your eyes become puffy with dark circles. But after a week of disturbed sleep you can start to feel very unwell and find it very difficult to concentrate.
What happens after one month of poor sleep
The French Bedroom Company said: "If sleep deprivation isn’t addressed, after a month you may begin to notice weight gain as your levels of leptin and ghrelin hormones become unsettled. Leptin controls feelings of satiety - how much energy you have - and without sleep is reduced, while ghrelin regulates feelings of hunger and increases the fewer hours of sleep you get.
"In this state, these hormones can cause an individual to overeat, as they find themselves getting hungry quickly and not feeling full once they’ve eaten. Sleep deprivation also prompts the body to release higher levels of insulin after you’ve eaten, which can lead to an increase in your risk of developing type 2 diabetes as a result of your body changing the way it processes glucose.
"To make matters worse, frequent sleep disturbances can also lead to high levels of inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, which have previously been associated with an increased risk of inflammatory disease and mortality."
What happens after six months of poor sleep
The French Bedroom Company said: "If sleep deprivation continues long enough, you may start to experience hallucinations. Many studies have found very strong links between long term sleep deprivation and increased mental illnesses."
What happens after a year of poor sleep
The French Bedroom Company said: "A year of poor sleep can, for some individuals, cause trouble conceiving by reducing the secretion of reproductive hormones. By this time, your risk of neurological diseases such as dementia and seizures will have also increased, while you’ll also be prone to conditions such as obesity, heart disease and some cancers. Regular sleep disruption is also associated with lower life expectancy.
"Sleeping five hours or less a night has been found to increase mortality from all causes, scarily, by around 15%."
How to catch up on your sleep
If you have been experiencing a period of poor sleep, do not expect one night of good sleep to rectify it. You will have built up a significant sleep debt that has to be paid back slowly, over time - it can take up to several weeks.
The NHS said: "Starting on a weekend, try to add on an extra hour or two of sleep a night. The way to do this is to go to bed when you're tired, and allow your body to wake you in the morning (no alarm clocks allowed).
"Expect to sleep for upwards of 10 hours a night at first. After a while, the amount of time you sleep will gradually decrease to a normal level. Don't rely on caffeine or energy drinks as a short-term pick-me-up. They may boost your energy and concentration temporarily, but can disrupt your sleep patterns even further in the long term."
The top tip on getting a good night's sleep from the NHS is being strict with a regular bedtime routine. Medical professionals encourage you to sleep at regular times to help programme your body clock, wake up the same time every day and relax before bed by reading a book or having a bath, and keeping your room sleep-friendly by keeping it dark, quiet, tidy and at a good temperature.
