How Does Sleep Impact Your Health?

Are you getting enough hours of sleep at night? Do you wake up each morning feeling refreshed and ready to go?

For many people, that’s not the case. It’s more common for individuals to struggle through those first hours of the day, longing to be back in bed for a few more hours. The problem is that a lack of sleep—especially a chronic lack—can lead to a number of health risks.  

If your health insurance claims are increasing because your health is suffering, it could be due to a lack of quality sleep. How can you reduce these risks? 

Why Is Sleep So Important? 

Sleep impacts many of your day-to-day functions. As a result, your brain health, physical health and emotional health can all be severely impacted if you aren’t getting enough quality hours of sleep at night.  

How can you reduce the health risks associated with a lack of sleep? 

• Schedule sleep. Sleep can impact your ability to learn, pay attention and make decisions. For this reason, schedule sleep like you do any other component of your day. Plan to sleep six to eight hours a night. 
• Sleep in a quiet environment. Sleep deprivation can impact your emotional well-being and can worsen depression, risk-taking behaviors and suicidal thoughts. For this reason, ensure you get enough quality sleep in a quiet environment. The silence will ensure that your mind has time to calm down and reset itself. It helps to keep distractions out of your bedroom—avoid putting a TV or computer in that space. 
• Set up your room as a place for relaxation. Realize that a lack of sleep increases your risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease and stroke. To help avoid these risks, set up your room for sleep. Be sure it is dark and keep the area a relaxing space. 

Additionally, consider having a sleep study done. Sleep studies measure your sleep habits and help determine if you have any health conditions that might be impacting your ability to sleep. Many health insurance policies can cover this service if your doctor approves of it.  

You can prevent complications to your health by making changes to the way you sleep. Paying attention to your sleep patterns (or the lack of them) can be lifesaving. 

Your health is our priority. Contact our agency for more information on health insurance.