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Recent research has taken some of the mystery out of how no sleep effects human behavior. Some of the findings are obvious, some less so. What is becoming more certain is that sleeplessness is becoming a serious problem among a large portion of the population and could be one of the root causes behind some other growing issues out there.

The amount of people who suffer from no sleep problems is climbing rapidly. Today estimates are that between 80 and 100 million people in the US alone suffer from some form of insomnia. That's nearly a third of the total population in the US or 1 in 3 people. Lack of sleep can cause a host of health and mental issues and costs the US economy literally tens of billions each year in health care, accident and lost productivity related costs.

Exactly how no sleep effects human behavior has been uncertain aside from the obvious of mental and physical fatigue and sluggishness. However, scientists have uncovered some further insights in recent years that is making insomnia's impact clearer.

One example of how no sleep effects human behavior is a decrease in mental processing performance. We all understand that being tired makes it harder to think, but what many don't realize is how much thinking is effected. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep (less than 6 hours a night) can impair the brain as much as being under the influence of alcohol. In fact people who drive tired are as dangerous as drunk drivers in many cases. There are over 70,000 accidents each year due to sleeplessness according to one medical related website.

No sleep problems extend beyond a drop in mental performance. Brain chemistry can be adversely impacted by a lack of sleep. Insomnia can even produce depression, anxiety and enhance the effects of stress if left unaddressed. This creates a rise in the number of people who now have to battle a mental disorder in addition to struggling to get enough sleep. Quite often these people end up on prescription drugs which have a whole range of side effects all there own and the cycle of problems can continue.

Another example of how no sleep effects human behavior is through a reduction in reasoning capability and a lowering of inhibitions. Recent studies are finding a link between a lack of sleep and the incidents of road rage. Insomnia can lower one's tolerance to stressful situations like traffic and can inhibit the normal reasoning processes that would prevent a person from lashing out in rage. This happens not only on the road, but in homes, work, etc. A lack of sleep can be just what some people need to push them into anti-social or unacceptable behaviors.

Knowing how no sleep effects human behavior is helpful, but what it really does is highlight the need for us to address the things in our lives that prevent us from getting proper rest. As we can see from the effects highlighted it is all the more important that we make sleep a priority. If not, then things will get worse and cost us all in ways more than just financial.