The work life is getting increasingly competitive and highly stressful; early morning rush hours which cause traffic, huge pile of work and other job related activities make the life of a worker more stressful, and a lot of people don’t get to have enough sleep at night.
Health experts recommend that a working class adult ought to sleep for 7 – 8 hours every night, but we all know that it’s almost impossible in today’s workforce.
However, while 7 – 8 hours of sleep might be impossible to attain, it shouldn’t go less than 5 hours, which a lot of workers do today. Having less than 5 hours of sleep is extremely risky for the following reasons.
1. You are more likely to fall ill
Adequate sleep helps boost your immunity level, and a lack of sleep would also weaken your immune system. Research has shown that adults who have less than 5, 6 hours of sleep are four times more likely to have a cold than adults who have 7 hours of sleep.
Having 5 hours of sleep or less would leave your body defenseless against common cold, flu and virus.
2. Your productivity level drops
You are most productive when you have enough sleep. When you have quality sleep, your mind becomes sharper and you make sound judgments. If you want to be productive at work, you shouldn’t have 5 hours of sleep.
3. Moodiness
With a lack of sleep comes poor mood. Sleep deprivation can cause you to become short-tempered, irritable and prone to stress.
Your mood and mental state would be affected and your anxiety level would increase.
4. Accidents
Research has shown that sleep deprivation can increase the risk of accidents and injuries on the job. In one study, workers who complained about extreme daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents.
Having 5 hours of sleep can also cause sleepiness when you are at work, and this can either cause an injury or even lead to your sack.
5. You gain weight
A lack of sleep increases your risk of gaining weight. Sleep deprived people tend to have reduced levels of leptin (chemical that curb hunger), and increases the levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger.
Having 5 hours of sleep or less would cause you more harm than good, and could pose other serious health risks, like depression and heart related sicknesses.
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