Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain . People who don’t get enough sleep tend to gain significantly more weight than those who get enough sleep. In fact, short sleep duration is one of the main factors leading to obesity .

In one study, children and adults who did not get enough sleep were 89% and 55% more likely to be obese, respectively. The effect of sleep on weight gain is thought to be due to changes in hormones that regulate appetite and sleep patterns.

If you’re trying to lose weight , getting good sleep is extremely important. Some studies have shown that insufficient sleep increases ghrelin and reduces leptin. This is likely to increase appetite.

Studies show that people who lack sleep often have more appetite and tend to consume more calories. Lack of sleep changes the regulation of appetite hormones and this is believed to be the cause of limitations in appetite regulation. Not getting enough sleep causes higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, and lower levels of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite.

In order to provide the necessary energy to maintain alertness, when you do not get enough sleep, eating more is a physiological adaptation. Nowadays, food is very rich and diverse, you can easily access all types of food, so it is easy to consume more calories than necessary.

Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function, including cognition, concentration, productivity and performance. All of these are negatively affected by lack of sleep. A study conducted with interns showed that interns following traditional schedules with work hours lasting more than 24 hours caused more serious health effects than interns who were get enough sleep.

Sleep deprivation can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication .

On the other hand, problem-solving skills and memory performance in children and adults have been shown to improve when you get enough sleep.

Sleeping well has been proven to enhance athletic performance. In a study conducted in basketball players, long sleep was shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reaction time, and mental health.

Less sleep time has also been linked to poor exercise performance and limited ability to function in older women. A study conducted with more than 2,800 women found that lack of sleep may be associated with slower walking, decreased balance, and greater difficulty performing independent activities.

Sleep quality will be reduced due to disturbed sleep timing, making physical function worse. So, to maximize athletic performance, you need to get good sleep.

Research shows that lack of sleep affects blood sugar levels and reduces insulin sensitivity . In one study conducted in young, healthy men, sleeping as little as four hours per night for six consecutive nights caused prediabetes symptoms. These symptoms will improve after 1 week of increasing sleep time.

Poor sleep habits also pose a risk of adverse effects on blood sugar levels.

People who sleep less than six hours per night over an extended period of time have been shown to be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Mental health problems, such as depression , are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleep disorders. Experts estimate that about 90% of people with depression often do not sleep well.

Poor sleep is even linked to an increased risk of death by suicide. People with sleep disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also have significantly higher rates of depression than the general population.

Even short-term sleep deprivation has been shown to impair immune function. A two-week study aimed to track the development of the common cold after giving people nasal drops with cold viruses . Experts found that people who slept less than 7 hours were nearly three times more likely to catch a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more.

If you often get colds, it’s best not to stay up late and make sure to get enough sleep every night. Sleeping for at least 8 hours can improve your immune function and help fight the common cold. Eating more garlic may also help.

Sleep can have a big influence on inflammation in your body. In fact, sleep loss is known to trigger markers of inflammation and cell damage.

Poor sleep is strongly linked to persistent inflammation of the digestive tract, in disorders known as inflammatory bowel disease . Research shows that sleep-deprived people with Crohn’s disease are twice as likely to have a recurrence as patients with good sleep.

Poor sleep is strongly linked to inflammatory bowel diseases and may increase the risk of disease recurrence. Researchers are even relying on sleep assessments to help predict treatment outcomes in people with long-term inflammatory problems.

Insomnia reduces the ability to interact socially. People who sleep poorly will have a reduced ability to recognize expressions of anger and happiness. Researchers believe that poor sleep affects the ability to recognize signals and process information related to emotions. Lack of sleep can reduce people’s social skills and ability to recognize emotional expressions.

In short, along with nutrition, regular exercise and good sleep are the most important factors for the health of all of us. You cannot achieve the best health if you do not know how to take care of your sleep.