As children, we have been taught in school that in order to be healthy, we would have to sleep eight to ten hours a day. That requirement still stands but unfortunately, not many people actually sleep that long anymore.

In fact, the average length of sleep that adults get these days is less than 7 hours. This can be blamed on modern technological distractions like the television, video games or the Internet, or perhaps on the busy lifestyles that most of us lead today.

Nevertheless, although you think you may have gotten used to sleeping for only 5 or 6 hours a night, this lack of proper sleep can have very serious effects on your body, both physically and mentally.

Negative Effects on Your Mental Health

• With each waking moment, your mind is constantly operating in full force regardless of whether you are solving a difficult math equation or simply watching cartoons. The only time when your mind can completely recharge is when you are asleep. By sleeping less, you are forcing your brain to go into overdrive and depriving it of the chance to recover in order to work properly.

• In the same way, your speech functions are also unable to continue working properly if you don’t have adequate hours of sleep. This can be manifested through various speech defects such as stuttering and slurring.

• Memory loss is a common side effect of sleep deprivation. Not only will you forget old information, but you will also find it hard to retain new ones, making it difficult to learn new skills.

• Your reasoning skills are greatly reduced, as well as your creativity because your brain is hardly running at optimal power due to the lack of sleep.

• When you miss certain stages of sleep, you may experience mental disturbances in the form of hallucinations or brief moments of detachment from reality.

• Sleep deprivation also affects your reflexes, resulting in slow reaction time and poor judgment. This can be especially dangerous when you are driving or working with heavy machinery.

Negative Effects on Your Emotional Health

• Sleep deprivation makes you harbor a negative attitude towards everything.
• You will be overly anxious and stressed out.
• You can fall under a state of depression.
• You will be furious at people and situation for no apparent logical reason.

Negative Effects on Your Physical Health

• The aging process is accelerated.
• You will have erratic heartbeats.
• Due to reduced body temperature, the systems in your body are prone to malfunction.
• Blood sugar level can rise considerably, increasing the risk of developing type II diabetes.
• Your movements will be slow and sluggish.
• You will be constantly tired throughout the day.

When your body does not get the amount of sleep that it needs, any of these symptoms will start to show. If the situation is not resolved immediately, more serious health complications can also arise.

While 8 hours is still the standard recommended amount of sleep, each individual has his own personal requirements. There may be people who can fully function with 7 hours of sleep, and others may need as much as 9 or even 10 hours of sleep.

You will know that your body has had enough sleep when you wake up in the morning with a rejuvenated and well-rested feeling. If you sleep for more than 8 hours a night but still feel tired in the morning, consult with your doctor for immediate medical treatment.