You know how bad you feel when you don’t get enough sleep.

Being tired creates a sluggishness of the mind, body and spirit, making everything harder to cope with. For busy people, sleep can seem like time wasted as our bodies and brains lie dormant.

Why should you care about getting a night of good sleep?

How sleep deprivation impacts wellbeing.

1. Obesity: Lack of sleep causes the body to produce higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite. A tired person will consume on average over 300 + additional calories per day, which can really add to your waistline over time.
   
   
2. Speeds up the aging process: Dark circles under the eyes, fine lines, reduction in skin elasticity and internal aging of vital organs are all linked to lack of sleep.
   
   
3. Reduces quality of life: Chronic lack of energy and concentration can affect a person’s ability to participate in social and recreational activities, making life a fun-free zone.
   
   
4. Brain function: Thinking, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, decision making, memory, attention and concentration are all impaired by lack of sleep.
   
   
5. Emotional regulation: Sleep deprivation is linked to impulsiveness, irritability, and a reduced ability to cope with stress, impacting on work or study, as well as personal relationships.
   
   
6. Accumulation of toxins in the body and brain: Sleep is a time when toxins are cleared from the body and brain. That’s why if you don’t get enough sleep, you can wake up feeling like you’re hungover, even when you haven’t drunk a drop.
   
   
7. Personal safety and the safety of others: In 2017, “drowsy driving” was a factor in 32 fatal motor vehicle accidents and 100 serious injury accidents in New Zealand (source: New Zealand Transport Agency) while sleep-deprived workers are far more likely to have accidents on the job.