Despite what research has shown that getting enough quality sleep at the right times is a basic need for humans, such as eating, drinking, breathing, and everything that is vital for safety, mental and physical health, and quality of life. There are many around the world who do not consider sleep to be important or a priority for good health.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that "lack of sleep is a health problem in the United States, where one-third of American adults do not get enough and regular sleep," and according to the British newspaper "The Guardian", a survey showed that 92.6% of Japanese over the age of 20 said they do not get enough sleep. 62% of adults worldwide are also dissatisfied with how much they sleep, according to a 2019 survey.

Lack of sleep is linked to several chronic health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure and depression (Shutterstock)

Consequences of lack of sleep

The British writer, Darian Leader, mentioned in his book "Why Can't We Sleep?" , that the global size of the sleep aids industry amounted to about $ 76 billion in 2019, and that one of the giant American insurance companies gives an employee an additional $ 25 bonus for each night, if he manages to sleep 20 nights for 7 hours or more.

Leader attributed the problem of lack of sleep, or "the inability of people to close their eyes" in the current era, to "job insecurity, long commutes, economic fragility, and pressure on themselves to maintain a positive image."

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has linked lack of sleep to a range of negative health and social outcomes, such as:

  • Accidents and injuries

Some people are unaware of the dangers of lack of sleep, and think they can work well, for example, drivers may feel sleepy but think they can drive. Studies show that "lack of sleep impairs the ability to drive, through short flashes of drowsiness, which occur when a person is awake normally, and without noticing them." It is estimated that driver drowsiness was the cause of about 100,1500 car accidents each year, resulting in about <>,<> deaths.

Lack of sleep can affect all areas of work, including health care workers, pilots, students, lawyers, mechanics and assembly line workers. It may also lead to human errors leading to tragic accidents involving nuclear reactors, ships or aircraft.

  • Physical and mental problems and chronic diseases

Dr Lourdes del Russo, director of the World Sleep Academy, says, "People should think about sleep as they do in other important healthy behaviors such as exercise, to be healthier over time."

Lack of sleep "is associated with chronic health problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity and depression," according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

  • Increased risk of death

Lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of mortality, and according to a survey conducted by the RAND Organization (RAND), which included 5 out of 34 OECD member countries, it showed that "people who sleep less than 6 hours a night have a 13% higher risk of mortality than people who sleep at least 7 hours."

"The Japanese are among the most stressed people in the world, and the highest in death rates from burnout," according to News18.

Postponing bedtime has a negative impact on one's body and psychological state (pixels)

  • Loss of productivity

Also, the RAND survey noted that while sleep quality could add billions of dollars to a country's economy, lack of sleep could cause a 3 percent GDP waste.

Besides the potential negative effects of lack of sleep on health, well-being, and productivity, there are also costly and far-reaching economic consequences, possibly exceeding a trillion dollars a year, globally. The United States has about $411 billion, followed by Japan with $138 billion, Germany and the United Kingdom with losses of $50 billion to $60 billion, and Canada with less than $22 billion.

  • Feeling frustrated

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, "lack of sleep" is achieved by not getting enough sleep, falling asleep at the wrong time, or not sleeping properly. Lack of sleep can cause difficulty judging other people's feelings and reactions, as well as feeling frustrated, strange or anxious in social situations.

  • Difficulty learning, concentrating and interacting

Lack of sleep can cause learning problems, difficulty making decisions, solving problems, remembering things, managing emotions and behavior, and adapting to change. This makes the time spent completing tasks longer, makes the reaction slower, and leads to more mistakes. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Lack of sleep can cause learning problems, difficulty making decisions, solving problems and remembering things (Shutterstock)

  • Hyperactivity and attention deficit in children

Children with lack of sleep are hyperactive and have attention problems; feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings; feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation; and their school performance may also be affected. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.