Most Americans suffer from a restless night more than once in a while. This is not unusual, but if you begin to notice that these restless nights are becoming frequent, you should address the problem as soon as you can. Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders can have serious effects on your health — from the fairly inconvenient, to the extremely serious or even fatal. A simple test can reveal if you have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. Once the condition is identified, finding a treatment is often simple and can completely transform your life. Often, it will be something as easy and affordable as changing your diet or using a CPAP machine during the night.

Slow Deterioration of the Brain and Body

Your physical output isn’t the only thing to suffer when your body is deprived of a good night’s sleep. The body’s cells don’t have the chance to maintain themselves or regenerate, causing your body to slowly and literally degenerate. This is why a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea is such a problem. The human brain, when deprived of sleep, is inefficient, and this affects your behavior, bodily movements, and decision-making skills. The neurons also malfunction, and this inhibits your ability to create memory and recall information.

Increased Susceptibility to Illness

The effects of fatigue go way beyond drowsiness. Your health deteriorates, your immune system ceases to function as well as it can, and you become increasingly susceptible to airborne illnesses. There are a number of diseases that have been linked with sleep apnea and any other sleep disorder including diabetes, stroke, bleeding and healing problems, and heart disease. In fact, studies have shown that ADD is often a misdiagnosis for chronic fatigue caused by sleep apnea.

Increased Irritation And Reduced Ability to Cope With Life

Your personality also undergoes a change: your patience is shortened, your mood is shakier, and the ability to socialize is also inhibited. Your work suffers because of slower reactions, both mental and physical, as well as the tendency to fall asleep during the day. All of these effects of fatigue create a new slew of problems to handle in your personal and professional life.

Weight Gain

How much and how well you sleep at night is a huge determinant in your weight. This is in large part due to these two hormones: leptin and ghrelin. The brain, when deprived of sleep, can not control these hormones as well as it could. When these hormones are out of balance, a person is often extremely hungry, because leptin tells your brain to stop eating when you’re full, and ghrelin tells your brain when you are hungry. Since your will power is reduced with a lack of sleep, caving in to the constant desire to eat is a potentially dangerous one. If these hormones are out of balance for too long, you are at risk to become overweight.

Increased Risk of Cancer

Recent studies from Harvard have revealed a connection between sleeplessness and cancer of the breast and colon. Experts believe this may be due to the body’s inability to dispel toxins and heal properly when deprived of sleep. It may also be due to protein and hormone levels that can not be controlled as well when deprived of sleep. So, if you suffer from a sleep disorder, see an expert to talk about treatments.