You wake up in the middle night and check the clock. You’ve still got a few hours before morning. Later, you wake up again. The clock says that only twenty minutes have passed. This happens again and again throughout the night. Constantly getting interrupted sleep can have serious consequences for your health. Continue reading to learn 4 harmful things that can happen when you don’t get a good night’s sleep.
1. You Get Grumpy
Unsurprisingly, waking up several times throughout the night makes you cranky in the morning. It may also increase your chances of developing depression, anxiety, or mood swings. This negatively affects your mental health. In addition, your friends and coworkers may not have nice things to say about you.
2. Your Thinking Ability Suffers
When you wake up frequently during the night, your cognitive function and attention span suffer as though you got barely any sleep at all. This is why activities like driving becomes so dangerous when you’re tired. If a car suddenly braked in front of you, your reaction time wouldn’t be as fast, and you might get into a collision.
3. Your Memory Is Impaired
While you sleep, your brain takes the time to commit what you learned that day to your permanent memory. It’s not actually the total amount of sleep that’s crucial here. It’s the amount of uninterrupted sleep you get. That’s why you might forget events from just the previous day. You know the saying “I remember it like it was yesterday”? If you constantly get interrupted sleep, you won’t be able to recall the things that happened yesterday!
4. Harmful Proteins Don’t Get Removed
When you get a good night’s sleep, harmful proteins that have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease get cleared away from the brain. However, brain imaging has shown that when people get interrupted sleep, those proteins build up over time, increasing your chance of developing dementia later on in life.
If you have several nights in a row of interrupted sleep, it might be time to see a healthcare professional. You may have a condition like sleep apnea, which your sleep dentist can treat. Get your sleep problems taken care of so you can enjoy the restful nights you deserve.
About the Author
Dr. Thomas Gromling is a sleep dentist whose career spans nearly 4 decades, all of which have been spent in the same office in Stephens City, VA. He has advanced training in treatment for obstructive sleep apnea to help you get a better night’s sleep. If interrupted sleep has been getting you down lately, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Gromling via his website or by calling his office at (540) 869-4377.