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The Health Impact Of Not Having Enough Sleep

Written by: Dr. Paul Lanthois

Article Overview: Most of us are aware that we are less productive, less attentive and more stressed when we are tired. But when does sleep deprivation become really dangerous? Is there any long-term impact of sleep deprivation? Find out where to draw the line.

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The Health Impact Of Not Having Enough Sleep

In this world of continually wanting to do more and more in less time, rest is still regarded as a luxury or an interruption to the long list of daily to-dos. If you are not burning the midnight oil trying to beat a deadline many other things can conspire against you in your quest for some elusive slumber. Snoring partners, restless children and your own mind that won't switch off generally ensure that you will join the masses of the sleep deprived. Most of us are aware that we are less productive, less attentive and more stressed when we are tired. But when does sleep deprivation become really dangerous? Is there any long-term impact of sleep deprivation?

The research tends to indicate that it is not the duration of actual work tasks that are increasing the risk of accidents by creating fatigue problems.In fact, it is the length of time awake and the adequacy of sleep that have the biggest impact at the workplace. Two studies (1,2) found that being awake for 17-19 hours brought about deterioration in performance equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%. After being awake for 24-27 hours, the impairment in performance was the equivalent of a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1%!

Skimp on the shut-eye and you'll not only be sluggish the following day but you maybe more at risk of gaining weight. Prevention magazine reported on the Nurses Health Study (3) which followed 68 000 women for 16 years. They found that women who slept just 5 hours a night were 32% more likely to gain 30-plus pounds during adulthood than those who got 7 hours sleep, even though the light sleepers typically ate less.

You may be wondering how sleep deprivation could possibly cause you to put on weight?

When you sleep your body produces large amounts of growth hormone. Your levels of growth hormone should actually be at their highest during sleep since growth hormone helps the repair of damaged tissue and helps to promote muscle growth during your slumber. Growth hormone gets the energy to do this by stimulating stored fat to be burnt while you are sleeping! The theory is if you don't get enough sleep your body doesn't get the time to do as much tissue repair. As a result your body doesn't require as much energy so you don't burn as much stored fat.

A lot of times work and other circumstances will result in us having to foregoour ideal slumber but knowing whensleep deprivationcan become dangerous will help you know where to draw the line.

References

1) Dawson, D., Reid, K., (1997) Equating the performance impairment associated with sustained wakefulness and alcoholic intoxication, Center for Sleep Research, University of South Australia.

2) Williamson, A. et al (2000) Development of measures of fatigue: using an alcohol comparison to validate the effects of fatigue on performance, Consultant Report CR 189, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Canberra.

3) Yeager, S., 24 Hours to the Body of Your Dreams, Prevention.com, Dec 11,2006

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Home > Work-Life > Dr. Paul Lanthois > The Health Impact Of Not Having Enough Sleep
Article Tags: adequacy, adulthood, blood alcohol concentration, burning the midnight oil, deterioration, fatigue, gaining weight, growth hormone, health study, interruption, length of time, light sleepers, midnight oil, muscle growth, nurses health, performance equivalent, prevention magazine, sleep deprivation, term impact, work tasks

About the Author: Dr. Paul Lanthois
RSS for Dr. Paul's articles - Visit Dr. Paul's website

Dr. Paul Lanthois is a chiropractor, speaker and work life balance expert. He is the director of The Work Life Balance Foundation which provides health, stress management and work-life balance lifestyle programs specifically for businesses and their employees. Dr. Lanthois has been a successful Australian chiropractor for nearly 20 years. He has spoken to many business and community groups such as Optus Telecommunications, St. George Bank and the SA Police Force. For two years Dr. Lanthois was the coordinator of health management at Action Coach (formerly Action International) Billionaire in Trainingï¿ Entrepreneur seminars. His academic background consists of: - A Masters of Chiropractic at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. - A Post Graduate Diploma of Chiropractic Sport Science, Macquarie University. - A Bachelor Science (majoring in Anatomy and Physiology), University of Adelaide. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the International Foundation For Nutrition and Health. Perhaps his most important qualification is that he successfully overcame his own energy burnout while managing two companies and raising a family and has developed a step-by-step proprietary process to recharge the weary and re-ignite the burned-out. Dr. Lanthois new book : From Burnout To Balance In 4 Weeks: The Business Health Program To Boost Morale and Productivity is due to be released in November, 2009.

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