Compiled and written by Ananya, Aria, Ayana, Diya and Maya

One in six car accidents is due to drowsy drivers.

Sleepy workers are 70% more likely to cause a factory accident.

Yet sleep deprivation is treated lightly.

An occasional night without sleep makes youl tired and irritated but it will not affect you’re health. However, if your lack of sleep continues, it can affect your overall health and make you prone to medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and many other mental illnesses.. A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness ,weight loss or weight gain.

Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. This includes concentration, efficiency, and performance. All of these are negatively   affected by sleep deprivation.

For example, interns on a traditional schedule with extended work hours of more than 24 hours made 36% more serious medical errors than interns on a schedule that allowed more sleep. On the other hand, good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults.

In the study, the researchers found that sleep deprivation makes it difficult for brain cells to communicate, which in time, can lead to temporary mental failure to do things that affect memory and visual perception. According to  researchers, not sleeping at all in a 24 hour period can affect your cognitive skills. A study also claimed  that by compromising on sleep, we force our body to have the same effect as having 0.10 percent of alcohol in the body.

Next time when you are up in the night watching a movie or show, or out partying, remember your body is not liking it. Be mindful of your body’s need of required sleep.