In this video Sonima founder Sonia Jones sits down with William Dement, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, and founder of the world’s first sleep laboratory, to learn more about sleep debt and its effects on our lives. Sleep debt is our accumulation of sleep loss over time; any time we get less than 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, we accumulate debt that affects our overall health and our ability to function at our fullest potential. According to Dement, sleep debt does not dissipate, leaving most of us sleep deprived most of the time. Even if we get sound and sufficient sleep for a full month, after a week or two of no sleep, we still have to make up our lost sleep if we want to return to our fully functioning selves. Today, most people have become dependent on caffeine, so they trick their bodies into thinking they’re okay when in fact they are adding to their stress and drowsiness levels. Watch the video above to learn more.

Related: The Sneaky Reasons You’re Losing Sleep

 

Join Sonima’s free 14-day jumpstart to better sleep for a downloadable guide and daily advice from top experts. Learn more here.

 

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