Get some sleep! That’s an order

Sleep deprivation

Not sleeping enough can lead to a cranky day, deadly car accidents, and an unfulfilling sex life. I myself am very particular about my sleep.

My secret is sticking to a routine. It gets easier after some time as you’re used to the timing and organization. Have a fixed time for lights out and waking up.

Sleep deprivation, a sleep disorder characterized by having too little sleep, can be either chronic or acute. Long-term sleep deprivation causes death in lab animals.

A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight gain.

A large (over 1400 participants) study in 2005 showed that participants who habitually slept fewer hours were more likely to have associations with Diabetes Type 2.

A 2001 study at Chicago Medical Institute suggested that sleep deprivation may be linked to more serious diseases, such as heart disease and mental illnesses including psychosis and bipolar disorder.

People who drove after being awake for 17–19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent, which is the legal limit for drunk driving in most western European countries (Canada, the U.S. and U.K. set their blood alcohol limits at .08 percent).

Extreme cases of sleep deprivation have been reported to be associated with hernias, muscle fascia tears, and other such problems commonly associated with physical overexertion. Beyond impaired motor skills, people who get too little sleep may have higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and may take unnecessary risks.

Several large studies using nationally representative samples suggest that the obesity problem the United States might have as one of its causes a corresponding decrease in the average number of hours that people are sleeping.

The findings suggest that this might be happening because sleep deprivation could be disrupting hormones that regulate glucose metabolism and appetite.