Consequences of Poor Sleep
Many things are frustrating when you are tired; you may have a hard time doing homework, paying attention, playing sports, or making hard choices. There are many other consequences that can occur when you don’t get enough sleep. Click on each link below to learn how many areas of your life can be affected by loss of sleep.
Accidents
- Every year many teens fall asleep while driving. If you feel sleepy do not drive. Serious accidents are often the result of drowsy driving during the day and late at night. It’s hard to pay attention to the road or react quickly when you’re sleepy!
Thinking
- Lack of sleep can cause difficulty listening, concentrating, or problem solving that could lead to low grades or low sports performance.
Emotions
- When you’re tired, you probably have difficulty controlling your emotions, which means you may get more upset, angry, sad, or scared.
Behaviors
- When you are tired, you are more likely to struggle with making good choices. For example, you may yell at friends or be impatient with teachers.
Illness
- When you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system suffers making it easier to get sick. Lack of sleep may also lead to skin (for example acne) or other health problems.
Weight
- When you’re tired, you don’t realize how much you eat and may eat too much or eat unhealthy things like sweets or fried foods that lead to weight gain.