Sleep is Essential

     When we were young we all got tired of hearing our parents say "go to bed early" or "you need at least 8 hours of sleep". But as much as we'd like to think they were wrong, there is a lot of truth behind what they were preaching. Not getting enough sleep not only makes you a little tired and cranky, it can also affect your whole body and its functions.
      Often if we go a few nights without sleep we will be tired, unmotivated and have bags under our eyes. The less sleep you get, the more severe effects it has on your body. In the long run if your body does not get enough sleep, your skin will age faster and I'm not talking just bags under your eyes. When you don't sleep enough a stress hormone called cortisol is released and breaks down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic. Not only can lack of sleep cause your body to release that hormone but it can release too little of hormones too. When we sleep, human growth hormone is released which helps increase our muscle mass, thicken our skin, and strengthen our bones. If you don't get to sleep the growth hormone can not be released. Other effects are heart disease, high blood pressure, mood disorders, stroke, diabetes, shortened life expectancy, and less likely to fight off sickness.
      When you miss some sleep you become more depressed and have worse anxiety. Depression can cause you to not care about things in your life. It can ruin relationships, work, education or any other aspects of your life. It affects the way you live and even the way you eat and can increase the risk for drug and alcohol addiction. Anxiety causes you to always worry about everything. This also effects daily functions, relationships, work and lifestyle in general. Anxiety can also lead to drug or alcohol abuse and eating disorders.
      Sleep is a necessity, not just a luxury. Losing sleep can cause an array of serious problems. Now that you know some of the short and long term effects of sleep loss, I bet you believe your parents about going to bed early. There is more to getting the proper 8 hours of sleep than we think.