There are many countries that value productivity above things like sleep. To be productive is to be seen with respect and admiration. People like to tell others how busy they are all the time. If a person says that they don’t have anything to do, they might be seen as lazy or like they don’t have their life together. After all, there is always something to do. There is silent judgement from society for not being productive all the time. Even when people have a day off, they want to fill it up with things because they don’t feel comfortable just resting. After all, their to-do list feels never ending. We wake up thinking about all the things that we need to get done that day. Not to mention still making time to be there for our loved ones. No wonder it is so easy to sacrifice sleep since it only affects you.  

Sometimes we sacrifice sleep because we are doing fun things that are keeping us entertained. This might look like reading one more chapter from that book that has you so intrigued. Maybe it is playing video games with your friends. Or maybe it is just watching one too many episodes of your favorite show. After all, you were very productive during the day. You deserve to stay up at night and have some fun. By the time you go to bed, maybe you only got 5 or 6 hours of sleep if that. You might not be completely awake by the time you get to the office.  If you are driving, this might look like you swerving from lane to lane because you are falling asleep on the wheel. We have all had those days when we stayed up a little too late watching or doing something that felt good at the time. You thought to yourself, I’m only going to watch one more episode. Then you realize three hours later that you have to wake up in a few hours and you start regretting your decision.  

So, what are the consequences of not getting enough sleep? When you don’t get enough sleep, your body and your brain move in a lethargic manner. It becomes harder to think clearly or focus on the assigned task. You feel sleepy and you continue to yawn during the day. At this point, some people might turn to caffeine to wake them up. Caffeine can be detrimental in the long run. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body craves sweets and greasy food so you might have a harder time making good decisions when it comes to your food. Also, when you don’t get enough sleep, you feel more irritable and impulsive. It becomes harder to regulate your emotions. You might not be as patient with those around you, especially your kids. There are also instances of people who have fallen asleep on the wheel because they didn’t get enough rest.  

There can be many consequences to not getting enough sleep. People can even start to hallucinate when they don’t sleep enough. It might sound like a good idea to skip sleep so you can continue doing something fun. However, the consequences of that decision can affect not only you, but those around you. Having a healthy body is not only about eating right and exercising but also giving your body the necessary rest so the next day you can do it all over again. Things can wait, your body can’t, so get some rest!