The benefits of sleep

The benefits of sleep are often presented in the research as the harms of not getting enough sleep. People who are sleep-deprived are at risk for:

• Decreased physical functioning (e.g., slower reaction times)
• Decreased mental functioning (e.g., reduced concentration, memory, creativity and productivity; poor impulse control)
• Poorer mood and poorer quality of life
  • Lower emotional intelligence; impaired emotional regulation (increased irritability and mood swings!)
    
  • Psychological threshold for the perception of stress is lower (you get stressed more easily by things that you would have coped with just fine if you got the sleep you need)
    
• Increased risk for mood disorders such as depression and anxiety
• Increased risk for some diseases including:
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
• Increased risk for accidents
• Higher healthcare costs
• Reduced function of the immune system
• Increased risk for weight gain and obesity
• Lower life expectancy
• Not performing the way you want to during the day, missing work
  
• Substance abuse, like misusing sleeping pills.