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# Dear Steemians
Today I'm going to share something personal and I'll talk about something very important, even though some people doesn't take this seriously at all. Or at least not as serious as they should.

## The story goes like this.
Late 2012 my father passed away. He died at home, in front of me. I was 27 years old. For those of you who doesn't know me, I'll just briefly explain that I turned off my emotions and feelings when this tragedy happened. I turned them off just like you would press OFF on a remote. - It was a very, very tragic moment but I couldn't afford to give in to my feelings.

I was just about to begin a construction education and I knew from the start that I wouldn't be able to pull this off if I gave in to my feelings. I also had to be strong and to help and support my mother as much as I could, so there was no room left to grieve. I didn't allow room for sorrow and I set everything on hold. I paused everything and the idea was to finish the education and to let this tragedy and all the feelings come at me in full speed **after** my education had finished.

Unfortunately, I'm not more than a simple human being, so it went on for almost the entire education.. During the last week or so, I went to sleep and right before I fell asleep I felt something I'd never ever felt before. - **I was certain that I was about to die.**

- That was the first time I experienced a panic attack.

<center>https://www.healthandlovepage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Panic-Attacks-Anxiety-Linked-to-Low-Vitamin-B-and-Iron-Levels-common-panic-attack-symptoms.jpg
[Image Source](https://www.google.se/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiI3aWw7pbWAhXCZVAKHYwxCUYQjhwIBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmoxiefoxtrot.com%2Findex.php%2F2017%2F04%2F18%2Fpanic-attacks-treatment-methods-for-treating-anxiety-attacks%2F&psig=AFQjCNFpJycVNcAK7GDaN_jnmjtLH5BHXg&ust=1505003838799041)
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# Fast forward to today.

Since that day, I suffer from panic attacks, anxiety and depression. I was afraid of going out in public. I couldn't go to the store and so on. - **My entire life took a huge blow.**

This is also one of the reasons that I usually **don't** share too much from my personal life. These things are extremely difficult to handle and these things are insanely frightening. That being said, things have become a little bit better but I still suffer from all of these things on a more or less daily basis. In one way or another.

However, this isn't the only thing that happened. Ever since that day, I am also afraid of dying. - I don't want to sleep because when I sleep, I have no control and I need to feel that I am in control. If I just let go of the control and fall asleep, I might die... And I want to live!

I know that these things might sound crazy to some, and it's extremely hard to explain it properly. I mean, I can barely explain this in Swedish so to do it in my second language is obviously even harder.

- Hopefully, you'll understand some of it.

## With all these things being said...
I don't get enough sleep. I usually sleep for about 4 or 5 hours and I wake up like each 20 minutes or so. Once or twice per week (per 7 days) I sleep for about 10 hours, because I'm truly exhausted from the loss of sleep during the other days.

- And this is what I'll talk to you about in this article.

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# The Dangers Of Sleep Deprivation

<center>http://cdn3.collective-evolution.com/assets/uploads/2016/03/tired_work.jpg
[Image Source](https://www.google.se/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiNiLW28ZbWAhXIEVAKHRBIBQcQjhwIBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collective-evolution.com%2F2016%2F03%2F30%2F10-life-hacks-how-to-not-be-tired-at-work%2F&psig=AFQjCNG7hmCcuWc48r-VrHHhdjl1K2zeVg&ust=1505004664954956)
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Just one full week of sleep deprivation is enough to actively change our genes which are what control the response we have to things like stress and immunity to diseases. Not to mention your health overall.

Here are some of the health hazards that can come if you don't get enough sleep at night.

- **Increased Anxiety.**
Without enough sleep, your brains anticipatory reactions are reduced which causes your anxiety levels to increase. As I already suffer from panic anxiety it is utterly important to get enough sleep, to **decrease** the anxiety.

- **Increased Chance of Depression.**
Not getting enough sleep can cause a decrease in neurotransmitters in your brain which are what control and regulate your moods. As I also suffer from depression, this makes it even more important to get enough sleep. It will help to decrease the overall depression.

- **Disrupted Circadian Rhythm.**
Without enough sleep, our circadian rhythms are disrupted which is what helps create healthy white blood cells and without them, it weakens our response to stress. I haven't heard anything about this from the doctors but I definitely don't want to become stressed easier than I am.

- **Increased Risk of Stroke.**
There is an decrease in cardiovascular health without enough sleep which can increase the risk of restricting blood flow to your brain which can cause things like stroke to happen.

- **Unhealthy Cravings.**
Without enough sleep, your body can't produce enough of the hormones that make you feel full (leptin). As well as those that make you feel hungry (ghrelin).

- **Impaired Cognition.**
Without enough sleep, you will have impaired cognition and that can negatively affect the brain's memory and the ability to process information.

- **Increased Hypertension Risk.**
If you only keep getting 5-6 hours of sleep per night, you will increase the risk of getting high blood pressure.

- **Increased Chance of Heart Disease.**
Your blood pressure drops when you are sleeping. And if you don't have enough of this low pressure in your blood you increase the chance of getting a heart disease.

- **Increased Diabetes Risk.**
Not getting enough sleep per night can increase the chances of you contracting diabetes. This is because a lack of sleep causes your body to produce cortisol and norepinephrine which are connected to a resistance to insulin.

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## How About Power Naps Then?

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[Image Source](https://www.google.se/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjS0pr085bWAhWRUlAKHaB6AZYQjhwIBQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quora.com%2FWhy-does-a-20-minute-nap-give-you-a-huge-energy-boost&psig=AFQjCNEbA5pZtOKsLTqTyVL-ktxNK174Tw&ust=1505005322717067)
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First of all, power naps are **very** good for you, but you shouldn't really take power naps until you're old enough to retire. More than 40% of adults power naps or fall asleep during the day because they're exhausted due to the fact that they aren't getting enough sleep. Also more than 60 million Americans are known to suffer from chronic sleep disorders like insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, periodic limb movement and restless leg syndrome. All because they aren't getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night!

My biggest issue here is that I am afraid to sleep. Due to things I've experienced in life. Well, being afraid to sleep is at least one of the side-effects of things I've been through in life... So this is a troublesome obstacle and something I'm very worried about.

- What about you? 
- How many hours of sleep per night do you get?

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