Most people know that a good night’s rest is essential to feeling good and functioning well throughout any given day, but it’s not as commonly known that regularly missing out on quality sleep can be a serious health risk.

Not sleeping well can lead to a range of conditions, and some of them are even life threatening. If you’ve been thinking about having a home sleep study to diagnose health issues like sleep apnea, then it is also important to know just how a simple sleeping test could help to save your life.

What are the Serious Complications of Losing Sleep?

If you’re the sufferer of chronic sleep apnea or another sleeping disorder, then there are complications that go beyond missing out on some much-needed rest.

Without a doubt, the most severe complication that can arise from ongoing sleep deprivation is cardiac arrest and eventual heart failure. A lack of sleep leads to heart disease, as well as hypertension. High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks which can sometimes be fatal. The evidence for this is strong, and the risk is increased depending on the severity of the sleeping disorder. If you’re someone who suffers from apneas where you are never able to reach restful stages of REM and NREM sleep, then your risk of developing heart disease and suffering from a heart attack is increased.

There is also research that strongly suggests that sleeping disorders can lead to diabetes. As most people know, diabetes can be a slow and silent killer and is one of the leading causes of non-accidental death in developed countries. In addition to diabetes, interrupted sleeping patterns can also lead to weight gain, which further increases the chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, or both. Weight gain is influenced because poor sleeping patterns have a direct impact on hormone production. Those who suffer from interrupted sleeping patterns are more likely to overeat and are therefore more likely to become overweight or obese. Being dangerously overweight is a factor in developing both diabetes and heart disease.

As you can see, many of the complications are interlinked, so if you’re suffering from a sleeping disorder, then having a sleeping test could literally be the decision that saves your life.

Other Seemingly Less Serious Conditions May Also Lead to Fatalities

Even if we ignore serious diseases like diabetes and heart disease, the general symptoms of sleep deprivation can be extremely dangerous.

Lack of sleep can lead to impaired cognitive function and poor decision making. This can mean that someone who is tired will be more likely to engage in risky behaviors, leading to serious injury. Sleep deprivation will also compromise motor skills, which means that people working in dangerous industries are more likely to be involved in accidents.

Driving while sleep deprived is also a major concern, and it is estimated that drowsy driving is a factor in over 70,000 crashes every year. The CDC estimates that this results in almost 45,000 injuries, and at least 800 deaths per year. These figures are believed by many to be extremely conservative, and tired or sleep deprived driving could be responsible for 6000 fatalities every single year in the United States.

The CDC lists sufferers of sleeping disorders as being more likely to be involved in a crash while asleep at the wheel, providing more evidence for the fact that poor quality or not enough sleep is a serious concern.

Addressing Sleeping Disorders with an at Home Sleep Study

Knowing just how dangerous it can be to ignore a sleeping disorder, it becomes clear that a suspected disorder in you or a family member should not be ignored. Sleeping disorders are difficult to diagnose without proper observation, which is why the use of an at home sleep study is recommended by physicians and other healthcare professionals. At VirtuOX, you can find some of the most advanced sleep testing kits that are available today.

Devices from VirtuOX allow for comprehensive testing to be performed at home, with devices taking readings for oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and other important indicators that can reveal sleeping patterns, helping to get the right diagnosis and treatment plan for anyone who is suffering from a disorder like chronic sleep apnea.

VirtuOX devices can also be used for regular monitoring of sleep, to ensure that treatments are effective and that underlying conditions are being addressed.

Don’t Take Chances When It Comes to Sleep

Sleep is not just necessary to feel good but is also necessary to be healthy and free of life-threatening disease. When sleep testing could quite literally save your life, there’s no good reason not to invest in your future with advanced testing and monitoring devices.