Are You Getting Enough Sleep? Experts Point at the Importance of Regular Sleep

A latest study published in the journal sleep reports that people who sleep less during the weekdays and try to make up for it by sleeping more on the weekends are more susceptible to heart ailments and diabetes. Sleep deprivation has severe repercussions ranging from mood swings, lethargy to even depression. Another research studied the effects of irregular sleep patterns in college students and concluded that "week-long irregular sleep schedules are significantly associated with lower self-reported morning and evening happiness, healthiness, and calmness during the week even after controlling for weekly average sleep duration," AFP reported.

The study adds another chapter to the ongoing research on understanding the effects of sleep on the overall well-being of a person. Erratic sleep pattern is a common phenomenon in today's world. As we struggle to juggle between work, family, friends and our personal interests, sleep seems to be the least important on our list of priorities. Sleep is important for the body to conserve and restore energy, and get ready for the next day. Experts at Harvard believe that just a single night's inadequate sleep may put a person at the risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and even stroke. Sleep deprivation may also damage the immune system.

"Results indicated that sleep regularity, beyond sleep duration alone, plays a significant role in our health. Regular sleep schedule may be an effective, relatively simple, and inexpensive preventative treatment for heart disease as well as many other health problems," Sierra B. Forbush, from the University of Arizona in the US was quoted by IANS.

Inputs from IANS