Unfortunately, yes, it will. Sleep is a very important component of your overall health!

Read on as our team at AFC Urgent Care Nashville South provides some further explanation on why an adequate amount of sleep is vital.

What Will a Lack of Sleep Do to My Body?

A chronic lack of sleep can negatively affect many parts of the body, but one specific area that it will affect is the immune system.

When you sleep, your immune system produces protective, infection-fighting substances called antibodies and cytokines. These substances combat harmful bacteria and viruses, and a chronic lack of sleep prevents your body from being able to adequately protect against those invaders. Learn some other negative effects of sleep deprivation below.

More Negative Effects of Inadequate Amounts of Sleep

• Increased stress and anxiety levels
• Mental and emotional instability
• Lower sex drive
• Headaches
• Chronic and excessive fatigue

What Can I Do to Sleep Beter?

Unfortunately, there isn’t one cure-all pill that will fix your sleep quality for the long-haul. What will help, though, is learning to develop and maintain good daily habits. This means doing things like drinking lots of water and exercising for at least 150 minutes a week to help your body get the adequate rest and recovery that it needs.

If you are constantly having trouble sleeping, we’ve listed a few simple home remedies to try to improve your sleep quality below.

Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep

• Implement a regular sleeping pattern. This means going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day.
• Limit screen time before bed. The blue light from phones and laptops stimulates the brain.
• Take a warm bath.
• Do not eat too close to bedtime, especially sugary and salty foods.
• Keep the bedroom cool and dark.

If you are having trouble sleeping have or any other health concerns, don’t wait to visit our team at AFC Urgent Care Nashville South! We are here for you now and always.