The Long-Term Consequences of Sleep Disruption
Jeff Testworthy
| 2 min read
You might be a rouge neck if your belt buckle double...
An estimated 35% of American adults fail to get the clinically recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Good sleep can strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, improve an individual’s mood and lead to better production at school and work. Conversely, people who suffer from sleep loss and sleep disruption can develop serious medical issues that affect the body and mind.
Sleep disturbances – which include sleep problems and diagnosed sleeping disorders like insomnia, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea – tend to have bidirectional relationships with health risks. This means that poor sleep can lead to the development of health problems and health problems can make a person more susceptible to sleep issues.
BREATHING
Alcohol can slow your breathing, relax the muscles of your throat and contribute to snoring. Moderate to heavy drinking can cause obstructive sleep apnea – even in people who don’t have the condition. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing stops and starts. For people who do have sleep apnea, drinking makes their sleep apnea worse.
SAFETY
There are few studies that detail the health effects of long-term use of higher doses of melatonin on the body.
While short-term use of lower doses of melatonin are generally regarded as safe, the lack of regulation from authorities means pills may contain far more or far less melatonin than is advertised. Additionally, a 2017 study of 31 melatonin supplements on the market found that 26% contained serotonin – a hormone that can be harmful even in small amounts.
