Lack of sleep is not only hazardous to an individual’s health—causing foggy-headedness, grumpiness and impaired judgment—sleep loss also can pose safety risks to entire cities and regions, even ecosystems.
In the article, “Coping with Excessive Sleepiness: 10 Things to Hate about Sleep Loss” posted recently on WebMD.com, Camille Peri pointed out the role sleepiness has played in accidents: “Sleep deprivation was a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history: the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill, the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and others.”
Among other things to hate about sleep loss: lack of sex drive, health problems, depression, forgetfulness, weight gain and aging skin.