Did you nod off or fall asleep at your desk? Again? What about skipping the gym because you just can't wait to hit the sack? You might be suffering from a lack of sleep if you feel more ho-hum than get-up and go.

Sleep was one of the first and most vital activities you mastered when you were an infant. And while you will spend about one-third of your life doing it, the value of sleep is often overlooked.

It is even more critical for your health to get enough sleep than to follow a strict diet or daily exercise routine. The basis for good health is quality sleep. For your body to rebuild tissues, replenish cells, and recover lost energy, it is vital to catch the right amount of Zs.

Physical Benefits

Your body takes time to rest, recover, and rebuild while you're asleep, so it can perform well the next day. Your body gets the reboot that it needs to wake up feeling refreshed and alert for your daily activities by healing damaged cells, boosting your immune system, and recharging your heart and cardiovascular system for the next day.

If you disregard your sleep schedule and start collecting a sleep deficit, your physical system may begin to be harmed, potentially leading to chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer.

A lack of sleep also greatly affects the little army of your own body, your immune system. Your immune system acts as the defense mechanism of your body, protecting you from foreign invaders who are looking to divide and conquer. Your immune system can become weakened without proper sleep and have trouble fighting off invaders. This can lead you to get sick more often and, when you do, suffer through a slower recovery period.

Emotional Benefits

It's hard to remember that your emotional well-being is just as important as your physical health if you feel overweight, groggy, or are suffering from a sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation can put you in a bad mood that can cast a shadow on all of your day-to-day activities.

Mental Health Benefits

A study by Harvard University shows that you can adversely affect the ability of your brain to remember important information by getting only five hours of sleep a night.

Sleeplessness can lead to failure to encode, which manifests in behaviors such as forgetting where you left your keys or the date you are supposed to attend a birthday party. Your attention and reaction time can also affect these same neurobehavioral effects. Because they need greater amounts of sleep while their bodies are still growing, children and adolescents may be at the highest risk for affected memory.

You can come up with a plan to counter the consequences of sleep deprivation by knowing what's causing you to lose sleep. One of the necessities of life is sweet slumber, helping our bodies grow, repair tissue, replenish cells, and restore energy. Sleep well!