Lack of Sleep Doctors say that the human body is a perfectly designed mechanism. A healthy, functioning body is a self-sustaining unit that can effectively deal with all kinds of daily challenges. Our body does not require conscious control in any of its functions, such as digestion, breathing and heartbeat; all by itself automatically. What our body requires from us is careful and correct treatment to keep it healthy. If we misuse our body by consuming fast food, drinking alcohol, and keeping it physically inactive, we will eliminate the dangers. We usually don't pay attention to these dangers. I think one of the most dangerous and most typical problems is lack of sleep. If a human being slept the right number of hours his body would be more active and healthy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay People today think that it is normal to sleep less than six hours. Knowing that it's wrong to sacrifice a couple of hours of sleep in favor of other activities, jobs and other social responsibilities, yet people continue to sleep less. Studies show that people who sleep less than six hours a night are more likely to develop heart disease. Sleeping less also causes hypertension, irregular heartbeat, stroke and diabetes. On the contrary, those who practice a healthy diet, moderate exercise and sleep 6 or more hours a night reduce the risk of contracting heart disease by up to 65%. Lack of sleep can be the reason for car accidents, plane crashes and other catastrophes. According to the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the annual number of fatigue-related car crashes is 100,000. Poor sleep has a negative influence on work performance and critical thinking. Sleep deprivation can cause accidents at work and not being able to concentrate on what you are doing. If a person slept for the hours they needed, they could reduce the risk of accidents and be more focused on what they are doing. Perhaps one of the strangest effects of sleep deprivation is its influence on food consumption. When people don't sleep they feel hungry and weak; therefore, they eat more food for energy. Yet they don't realize the damage they are doing because when the body isn't sleeping it takes longer to taste. Their bodies gain weight and they eventually develop obesity which can cause them health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, stress and even heart problems. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In our modern and fast-paced world, lack of sleep has almost become a normal and common thing that people do nowadays. However, its negative effect is greatly underestimated by people. The most common ailments caused by sleep deprivation include heart problems, poor concentration and increased risk of accidents, as well as its indirect contribution to the development of obesity.