Did you know that a good night’s sleep is at least as important as exercise and good food for leading a healthy lifestyle? Lack of sleep not only causes those bags under your eyes but also many health problems.

• Chronic sleep loss impairs a person’s reaction time, much like the effects of alcohol abuse. This can be a matter of life and death when driving your car.

• Sleep is essential to a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. It helps to regulate body temperature and influences the nervous system.

• It is estimated that each lost hour of sleep knocks off one point of a person’s IQ. You can imagine how a week of bad sleep affects your brain.

• Sleep deprivation makes you impatient, irritable, and even affects your sense of humor. So please think of your friends, family and colleagues before pulling an all-nighter.

• Not enough sleep leads to bad concentration, bad memory and bad decisions. This can be detrimental to your productivity.

• Sleep deficiency has a negative impact on your immune system which makes you more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.

• Sleep deficiency influences your metabolism and could result in weight gain.

• Excessive tiredness can lead to feelings of nervousness and anxiety, dependent on how you cope with daily stress.

• The concept of beauty sleep is not a myth. Skin and hair cells regenerate faster during sleep than by day. If this process is disrupted, it results in dull hair and pale skin.

• Lack of sleep has been linked to lower life expectancy. Sleep holds the same importance as healthy eating habits, physical exercise and heredity.

Alison