One prime reason for this is that sleep deprivation decreases the brain’s glucose content – a vital carbohydrate that our grey matter uses as fuel. This glucose starvation doesn’t impact all parts of our brain equally; the ones that are hit hardest are your parietal lobe & prefrontal cortex, which are associated with problem-solving & high-level thinking. After 24 hours without sleep, glucose in these regions reduces between 12 and 14 percent.

Furthermore, several studies have shown that skipping one night of sleep makes us as insulin resistant as a type-2 diabetic. Having an inadequate amount of this vital hormone leads to weight gain, signs of aging and reduced sexual drive.

Thus, sleep is not an enemy of productivity or a hurdle to overcome. It is an essential restorative state, vital for our physical & psychological well-being. We simply can’t be healthy or function at peak performance without good amount of sleep.

So, while we sleep our bodies are repairing themselves – fighting the signs of aging & strengthening our immune, muscular & skeletal systems.