Are you having trouble sleeping? If so, you could be in grave danger! Lack of sleep can actually kill you. Since 1900, people used to get an average of 9 hours sleep per night. This has decreased over the years to an average of just 7 hours of sleep per night. This is probably due to the invention and use of the light bulb, along with other inventions we use daily.  If you’re suffering from lack of sleep, you should try to get it sorted pronto. Here’s 4 reasons why lack of sleep is killing you.

Driving While Tired

It’s shocking just how many people drive while tired. Accidents because of this do occur, leaving people fatally injured or disabled. You don’t want to be responsible for somebody else's life, or lose your own! You should never drive while tired, so sorting out your sleeping pattern is vital.

Working While Tired

Working while tired could affect you in multiple ways. Not putting the effort in at work because you are always tired could mean you get a warning, or even worse sacked.

Working while tired can be especially dangerous if you work with heavy machinery. You could seriously injure yourself or somebody else.  

You Could Become Depressed

Not getting the right amount of sleep can leave you feeling down. If you feel down, your relationships with others are likely to suffer. This will lead to you becoming more depressed and could even lead to thoughts of suicide.

You Could Become Overweight

Studies have proven that not getting enough sleep can make you eat more, causing you to gain weight. Gaining weight can lead to all sorts of problems, from diabetes to heart attacks. This is another incentive to get more sleep if you have a few pounds to lose! Simply sleeping more could help you lose the extra pounds.

Photo credit: www.sleepnbeauty.com

How to Combat Insomnia

To get a better nights sleep and avoid these problems, there are a few things you can do:

• If you can’t sleep because you have too much going on in your head, try writing everything down on a piece of paper so you’re taking it out of your head. Do this a while before bed so you can relax before trying to sleep.
• Try to get some exercise in the morning or afternoon, this will make you sleepier later on. Don’t exercise before bed, this will actually stimulate you and keep you awake for longer!
• If one of your issues is waking up in the middle of the night finding yourself unable to go back to the land of nod, then the worst thing you can do is just lie there thinking about it. You need to get out of bed and do something to make you sleepy, e.g read a book or a magazine. Don’t use the laptop or watch TV as this is likely to wake you up more.
• If all else fails, try a mild sleeping pill like Kalms. You can visit your doctor if you are especially worried and he will talk you through some different options to find the best solution for you.

… written by Joe Davies, home & DIY blogger, on behalf of Yorkshire Linen.