Sleep is fundamental for every facet of well-being, including physical, emotional, mental, and cognitive health. It is a human need, just like eating, drinking, and breathing. The dangers of sleep-deprivation are plentiful. It is linked to heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, depression, and obesity. It also impacts memory because during sleep, the brain is hard at work building connections to help process and remember new information. Concentration, creativity, and problem-solving also suffer. Weight gain is also a risk because lack of sleep disrupts the balance of chemicals that help us feel satisfied, which may trigger overindulgence. Sleep deprivation is also dangerous, leading to major accidents and deaths. This infographic visualizes data from the Wisconsin Population Health Institute, presenting the most sleep-deprived states and counties in America. Kentucky, West Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi are all deeply impacted by insufficient sleep. Major cities like Detroit and Philadelphia also struggle, with 45% of adults reporting an average of fewer than seven hours of sleep each night.
