Problems associated with low sleep

Getting enough sleep is crucial to your health. This article outlines many reasons why you should get plenty of sleep each day. I hear you saying, “I know, I know, I’ll try to get more sleep sometime soon. But right now, it’s just so hard.” Did you know that getting enough sleep has been credited with a 12% increase in lifespan? Keep reading to discover the benefits of getting a good night's sleep.

Improve testosterone production

How about if I told you that you can double your testosterone? Obviously this benefit applies to men. If you're a man and are suffering from low testosterone, getting enough sleep can make a big difference. Here we have a study of a large group of men (over 500), who were monitored for their sleep patterns compared to their testosterone.

The study found that those who slept a full 8 hours had around twice the testosterone available to them than others who slept a mere four hours (200-300 ng/dl vs 500-700 ng/dl). It found that every extra hour after four hours sleep gave an additional 15% boost in testosterone, up to the 8th hour.

Consider all the troubles people have that are caused by low testosterone. Following are a list of ailments associated with reduced testosterone.

• Low sex drive.

• Low sperm production.

• Lacking muscle strength.

• More difficult to get rid of fat.

• Fragile bones.

• Low red cell production.

• Increased fatigue.

• Decreased body hair.

• Swelling of breast tissue.

• Hot flashes.

• Messed up metabolism.

Every listed item above is a can of worms in-and-of-itself. If you have low red blood cells, that weakens your overall immune system, which actually makes potential side effects of the low testosterone to be the same side effects of a compromised immune system.

Many people buy testosterone supplements in the hopes of increasing their levels. If you’re going through all that hassle, do yourself a favour and get 8 hours of sleep at night — and double your testosterone if you aren't getting enough sleep!

Sleeping tablets

If you are suffering from insomnia, a short-term solution can be found in sleeping pills. Some people choose to stay awake more than they should, while others are simply unable to sleep because they are suffering from insomnia. If you just can't get to sleep, consider using sleeping tablets as a short-term solution.

Sleeping pills are a short term solution because they can become less effective over time. Eventually, you may end up needing sleeping pills as a crutch to get to sleep. That is why you shouldn't take prescription-strength sleeping medication for over a month.

What if you are still suffering from insomnia after a month of using prescription sleep aids? Consider using a herbal supplement or an over-the-counter remedy such as Nytol.

Low sleep increases cortisol

Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone”. If we don’t get enough sleep, we have elevated levels of cortisol. According to Dr. Oz, high cortisol winds up as a spare tire in the area of your gut. So then, you can add weight gain to the list of negatives when we don’t get enough sleep.

Low sleep can shorten lifespan

Want to live a long, healthy life? Lifespan has been linked to sleep. According to 16 studies, spanning over a million test subjects, which observed 112163 deaths, the results were that you have a 12% increased risk of early death if you sleep less than 6 hours each day.

Daytime alertness down 32%

According to this article at webmd.com:

Decreased Performance and Alertness: Sleep deprivation induces significant reductions in performance and alertness. Reducing your nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%.

Risk of accidents

The webmd article didn’t stop there and continued to elaborate on accidents at work and on the road, which are caused by sleep deprivation.

Automobile Injury: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.

And you have double the risk of getting into an injury at work.

Benefits from getting enough sleep

We have examined the problems associated with lack of sleep. You should always get at least 8 hours of sleep. By getting adequate rest, you observe the following benefits:

• Easier to keep your weight in check.

• Stronger bones.

• Increased red cell production.

• Increased immune system.

• Improved metabolism.

• Balanced hormones.

• Increased lifespan.

• 32% more alert during the day.

• Decreased risk of accidents.

In summary, getting a good night's sleep can benefit your health in many ways. In men, it can boost natural testosterone production. In everyone, it can improve your immune system and reduce cortisol levels which are responsible for weight gain and stress. Getting enough sleep can even help prolong your life! Are you a true believer in getting 8 hours of sleep now? Take the knowledge to heart and improve your life starting today by getting enough sleep!