Not Getting Enough Sleep Part 1

BATTLE CREEK (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Before you die you'll spend 1/3rd of your life asleep. How much you get and how you do it will determine how healthy the other 2/3rds will be.

"It's kind of like a battery charger, you just run your battery down during the day and go plug yourself into sleep to recharge your body and get ready for tomorrow," said Dr. Satya Caparala of the Battle Creek Health System Sleep Center.

Sleeping is not a passive process, it's work, a job your brain must do regardless of the obstacles you put in its path. It's like drinking caffeine, smoking or giving in to the stress of a normal day.

"You have to have food, you have to have water, you have to have air. Well, one of the things your body will force you to have is sleep," said Richard Craig of the Battle Creek Health System Sleep Center.

And we need a good 7-9 uninterrupted hours a night. Without that there are consequences.

"I hear people say things like, I'll sleep when I'm dead.' I always like to tell them… if you don't sleep, you will be dead," said Craig.

"The more sleep deprivation you accumulate, the more performance deficit you're creating in your brain," said Dr. Chaparala.

Depriving yourself just 1-hour a night can make you unproductive and irritable. Also depending on your work or if you drive dangerous.

Allow this to happen long-term and you raise your risk of heart failure, stroke, high-blood pressure, depression and so much more.

"If you're sluggish during the day, if you're tired, getting sleepy during the day, don't make excuses do something about it," said Dr. Chaparala.

Like get on a sleep schedule and stick to it, even on the weekends. Avoid nicotine and alcohol in the afternoon and evening and cut back on the caffeine.

Create the perfect sleep environment for you. Keeping the room coo as our bodies need to cool to sleep.

If you can't sleep in 30 minutes don't toss and turn. Get up and do something that relaxes you until you feel sleepy. Also if just can't seem get the rest your not alone.

"Probably 40-to-50 percent of the population has some sort of sleep disorder," said Dr. Chaparala.

There could be something else at play. Tuesday, we'll take a look at the most common of those sleep disorders, how you can recognize one, and where to go for help.