Sleep is one of the most important things you can give your body to ensure health and happiness. However, it’s not always easy to achieve sleep the way that it’s intended to be truly well-rested and to aid in being productive throughout the day.

The American Sleep Association (ASA) reports that between 50 to 70 million adults have a sleeping disorder while 35.3 percent of adults report that they sleep an average of less than seven hours during a typical 24-hour period. Since the average adult requires between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, that means that many adults aren’t even meeting this minimum on a nightly basis.

A healthy amount of sleep can lead to many benefits, including things like increased concentration and productivity, a faster metabolism, and a decreased risk of depression. An adequate amount of sleep can also improve the function of your immune system, improve memory, spur creativity, and encourage a healthy body weight.

As you can tell, receiving enough sleep is vital to one’s overall health and well-being. However, many Americans don’t receive even the recommended minimum hours of sleep to achieve these benefits.

There is a range of factors that contribute to the loss of sleep, from sleep disorders to heightened anxiety. Understanding the signs your body gives you to signal that you need more sleep to determining when to see a doctor are important steps in ensuring you are receiving enough z’s to remain healthy and happy.

Hitting the sack with enough time to snooze each night may seem like no big deal, but losing sleep does have harmful effects. Learn more about warning signs that you’re  not catching enough shut eye as well as the warning signs that you should seek professional help below to maintain your health and optimal state of mind via the information presented below.