Do you have your insomnia facts straight? Think sleep is a sport or a favorite game you can participate in here and there? Think again. If you are one of the millions of sleep deprived overworked people living in the United States or abroad today, you may be putting your life at risk. Sleep deprivation, often a side effect of insomnia, is often a leading cause for automobile accidents, miscarriages, illness, tension headaches and other problems according to the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Deep sleep is restorative, meaning your body needs a full night of deep sleep, engaging in REM and non-REM cycles to fully refresh you. Lack of sleep can cause you to become ill, because your immune system weakens.

If you suffer from frequent bouts of insomnia or sleeplessness, eventually your immune system wears down. You may become overweight because sleep deprived people tend to eat more to help provide their body with the energy it needs to stay awake. Some studies also show that not getting enough sleep can cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall at unnatural levels, which can lead to the development of chronic disease states like diabetes. How much sleep do you need? At least 7 to 9 hours, at least according to officials. Think you can’t squeeze that much snooze time in. Think again, because your life may depend on it. You don’t want to be the next statistic.