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If you’ve ever suffered from insomnia, or been forced into nights without sleep because you’re taking care of a newborn or other children, then you’re already aware that losing out on much-needed sack time can impact your life in myriad ways. You’re confused, you’re unable to focus, your motor function is slow and your emotions seem to constantly teeter on the brink of spilling over…
But hey, you don’t have to take my word for it – science is backing me up.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
According to the CDC, about 1/3 of adults living in the States don’t get enough sleep – 7-9 hours per night, every night. Even though getting so much seems an impossible luxury to some of us, recent research shows that it’s definitely worth your while to try to make it work whenever possible.
It could be life or death, actually.
A lack of quality sleep can cause both your physical and mental health to decline at a rapid rate, and will show up as aging skin, weight gain, loneliness, long term memory loss (better fill out those baby books now), and irritability (that’s not good for your marriage, or your kids).
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Those things will seem minor, though, if it gets bad enough to cause serious complications like an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, slower reaction time that could lead to accidents, and a weakened immune system in general.
So even though it’s hard, especially with young kids in the house, you owe it to yourself – and your family – to do your best to squeeze in extra the zzz’s when you can. Even if your friends are going to judge you for handing over your iPad to your toddler so you can doze off while you nurse the baby. Again.
