Written by Anuradha Varanasi | Published : April 19, 2016 6:29 PM IST
Living in a fast-paced world, Generation Z faces a daily struggle with stress, an active routine, and demanding schedules. This constant hustle hardly allows any time for a break. Sadly, their sleep takes the hit, significantly influenced by the invasion of technology. Screens are everywhere, a symbol of the digital age, and they mess up the way Gen Z sleeps, affecting both the amount and quality of their rest.
Cardiovascular complications: The long term health consequence of insomnia is cardiovascular conditions such as myocardial infarction or what is more commonly known as a heart attack [2]. Norwegian researchers conducted a study in 2011 that included over 52,000 participants who were studied over a period of 11 years. Following that it was found that insomniacs are at a greater risk of suffering from heart attacks.
Increases mortality risk: Research showed that mortality risk in men was significantly increased in patients with insomnia. It was observed that these patients slept for less than six hours [3]. In fact, researchers found that the mortality risk was as high as 21% for men and 5% for women. This is because those who don’t get adequate sleep are also more prone to diseases like hypertension.
Diabetes: Several studies have found a link between poor sleeping patterns and diabetes. In one such study, researchers observed that men and women who slept for a shorter duration (less than 5 hours) were more likely to develop diabetes as compared to those who got adequate sleep every night [4].
More likely to have an accident: A major consequence and also health risk of insomnia is the increased occurrence of road accidents. Researchers have observed that insomniacs are 2.5 to 4.5 times more likely to have an accident as compared to healthy individuals [5]. This is because of impaired cognitive functioning and lower concentration caused by lack of sleep.
Lower work productivity: Insomniacs find it much more difficult to be productive at work and have much higher rates of absenteeism, decreased concentration, due to which they face difficulties in performing their day-to-day duties [6]. Studies have found that the reason for higher absenteeism is because insomniacs are also more prone to health problems.
Depression and anxiety: One of the most common psychiatric conditions that insomniacs tend to suffer from is depression and anxiety [7]. While these mental illnesses cause insomnia, researchers have found that it could also be the other way round. This means lack of sleep can also cause depression and anxiety.
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