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Sleep: The Repercussions of Not Doing It Right

By Mike Hazle, Sep 29, 2021

Part 3 in the series: Re-Engineering Human Performance Through Sleep

How well a person sleeps every night can have a huge impact on their health, both mentally and physically. Here are some of the negative health consequences of not getting enough sleep.

Repercussions of Sleep Deprivation
  • Lack of quality sleep (REM sleep) has been linked to an increase in Alzheimer's and Dementia. (1) (2)
  • The protein beta-amayloid has been shown to increase by losing just one night of deep sleep. Beta-amayloid build up in the brain has been associated with impaired brain function and Alzheimer’s disease.(1) (2)
  • The detriments resulting from sleep loss include impaired cognitive and behavioral performance and a dramatic increase in oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. While not always harmful, long-term oxidative stress can lead to cell and tissue damage which can contribute to aging and illness.
  • The lack of deep restorative sleep also impacts essential cognitive processing such as memory consolidation and insight formation. (3) (4)

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About the author

Mike Hazle

Human Performance & Education Specialist

Articles by Mike Hazle >

After a 10-year career on the World Athletics Tour and the Olympics, competing in 23 countries, winning 5 National Championships medals, working with the world's elite Special Operators as a U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Combat Controller (CCT)...Mike was left injured, exhausted, and empty inside even after achieving what most would call "The American Dream." A dream full of glamour, lights, material wealth and superficial possessions.

Over the years, the lights and fireworks of the Olympic stadium have faded and the wounds of Special Operations Training have healed. Mike has learned lessons from a life in the arena of the world's most stressful environments. These lessons will carry him farther than any athletic accomplishment or experience he has ever had. Now, his unwavering mission is to help people across the world learn the tools and techniques he has mastered and help them recover from high impact, high stress careers.

In his expansive 20-year career, on top of the highest level of athletics on the World's largest stages and Military Special Operations, Mike has been educated from the best sports physiologists, nutritionists and strength & conditioning coaches across the globe. Not only that, Mike has picked up along the way a master’s degree in Sports Management, a Bachelors in Kinesiology, a National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Cross Fit certifications. Mike has also spent 6 years on the resident athlete advisory board at the US Olympic Committee's (USOC) Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA.