How many hours a day do you sleep? Do you get enough or wake up each morning refreshed and ready to go? For many people, that’s not the case. Rather, it is more common for individuals to struggle through those first few hours of the day longing to be back in bed for a few more hours. The problem is, a lack of sleep, especially chronically, can lead to a number of health risks. If your health insurance claims are increasing because your health is suffering, it could be due to a lack of sleep or quality sleep. How can you reduce these risks? 

Why is Sleep So Important? 
Sleep impacts many of your day to day functions. If you do not get enough quality sleep, it can impact virtually all systems within your body. This includes your brain, physical health, and emotional health. How can you reduce the risk that you may struggle with a lack of sleep? 

• Sleep can impact your ability to learn, pay attention, and make decisions. For this reason, schedule sleep like you do any other component of your day. Plan to sleep six to eight hours a day, just like you may work. 
  
• Sleep can impact your emotional wellbeing and can worsen depression, risk-taking behaviors and suicide risks. For this reason, ensure you get enough quality sleep in a quiet environment. It also helps to keep the distractions out of your bedroom – don’t put a TV or your phone in that space. 
  
• Realize that a lack of sleep increases your risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease and stroke. To help avoid these risks, set up your room for sleep. Be sure it is dark and keep the area a relaxing space. 

The fact is, sleep is a big component of your health. For this reason, have a sleep study done. Many health insurance policies can offer this type of coverage if your doctor approves of it. The key here is to prevent complications to your health by making changes to the way you sleep. It can prove to be lifesaving to pay attention to your sleep patterns and lack of them.