How can I get over my insomnia? Does this question nag you whenever you are unable to sleep at night? You all know how important sleep is, but do you really give it the attention it deserves? It is well known that not getting enough sleep can be the result of many reasons, including commuting, long working hours, stress, lifestyle alterations, and night shifts. This problem is not limited to a country or continent; it is a global concern that needs immediate attention.

You all know that poor sleep adversely affects various functions, either at home or at the workplace. But do you know that prolonged sleep debt can even put you at risk of chronic illnesses? According to a recent study, not getting enough sleep at night can block or narrow the arteries.

Here are four chronic diseases that you can potentially suffer from due to sleep deficit:

Cardiovascular Disease

Even if you don’t smoke or drink alcohol, there is always a likelihood of getting cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, coronary heart disease and heart stroke due to lack of sleep. There is evidence that sleep deprivation may be one of the cardiovascular risk factors affecting the sympathetic nervous system of the heart, but this is not clear yet and requires further investigation. A meta-analysis of various studies has shown that there is a 45% increased risk of developing CVD among patients with insomnia.

Diabetes

Around 70 million people in India suffer from diabetes. One of the lesser-known causes behind the disease is poor sleep. You must be wondering about how the two are connected. However, scientific evidence establishes this fact. Insulin, which absorbs glucose from the bloodstream, is a hormone released by the pancreatic cells of the body. Reports suggest that those who are sleep-deprived become susceptible to decreased glucose intolerance and insulin sensitivity, which disrupts blood glucose levels. Sleeping for 7-9 hours every day reduces the chances of contracting diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

It is well-established that insomnia causes high blood pressure; the incidence is higher in women than in men. However, not everyone knows that lack of sleep increases the level of stress hormones which in turn can increase the risk of high blood pressure. A study performed on a large dataset reported a very strong association between sleep and hypertension. It suggested that women were at an increased risk of hypertension throughout the adult lifespan.

Cancer

Did you know that your body performs various functions while you are sleeping? These functions can range from controlling cellular growth and repairing DNA damage to building your immune system? Not getting a good night’s sleep may cause cancer down the line. According to a review paper, not sleeping enough may lead to breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer, among others.

Many insomnia patients may feel that they can be cured of their condition by visiting a doctor. What if we say that you can get a good night’s sleep just by clicking here— Essentium Phygen. We offer a natural sleep remedy— a transdermal patch - to aid troubled sleeping. This easy to apply patch helps improve the quality of sleep, combat sleeplessness, stress, anxiety, and symptoms of jet-lag or disturbed sleep due to irregular working hours.

To live a long and healthy life, start taking sleep a little seriously and give your body the rest it deserves.

Sweet dreams!

Dr. Avani Shukla
Ph.D. in Molecular Neurobiology
International Max Planck Research School
Göttingen, Germany