Why is sleep important?
Sleep is a biological necessity and yet many of us get less than we need. Getting adequate sleep has a vital role in alertness, attention, judgement and decision making, affects how well we perform at our jobs, and lack of sleep may ultimately compromise both our own safety, and the safety of those around us. Research has found an association between circadian and sleep disturbances and disruption to the immune, inflammatory and cardiovascular system. Thus, regularly getting less sleep than we need has been linked to increased risk of a range of health disorders, including Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and some cancers.