There’s not a whole lot of good that comes out of skipping sleep. Here’s what to expect when you skimp on shut-eye.

What happens if you don’t sleep?

Not getting enough sleep can lower your sex drive, weaken your immune system, cause thinking issues, and lead to weight changes.

When you don’t get enough sleep, there’s also an increased risk of certain cancers, diabetes, and even car accidents.

If you find yourself part of this no-sleep category, you’re not the only one. Approximately 1 in 3 American adults aren’t getting enough sleep, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

Here are the details of what happens to your body when you don’t log enough hours under the covers.

Losing sleep can affect your body’s ability to fight off illness. This makes it easier to get sick.

Research suggests a two-way link between sleep and your immune system. You may lose extra sleep while your body fights off a bug if you get sick and haven’t had enough shut-eye.

Both short sleep durations (less than 5 hours per night) and long sleep durations (9 or more hours per night) have been shown to have a negative effect on heart health, according to an analysis published in the European Heart Journal.

In particular, your chances of developing coronary heart disease or having a stroke are greatly increased with less sleep.

Shortened sleep is associated with higher rates of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer, according to the AASM’s sleep statement.

Overnight shift workers may take the brunt of this burden. Also, both men and women who slept 7 or more hours per night had the lowest risk of death in the study.

Even missing one night of sleep can lead to some major cognitive (thinking) issues.

A study published in the journal Sleep found that a week of insufficient sleep had various negative effects on “cognitive functions, subjective alertness, and mood even in high-performing high school adolescents.” Even when the participants were able to get a few nights of catch-up sleep, they still didn’t fully regain their thinking and memory skills (cognitive function).

Not only can missed sleep make you feel more forgetful, but there’s also a growing body of research suggesting that sleep can affect learning and memory.

Researchers suggest that sleep is critical to the process of consolidating the things we learn in the brain. In other words, we need proper rest to lock in new information and commit it to memory.

Not getting enough sleep could reduce your sex drive.

In a small study from 2011, young participants who lost sleep over a 1-week period showed a decrease in testosterone levels. Sleeping 5 or fewer hours reduced sex hormone levels by as much as 10% to 15%.

The participants also reported that their overall mood and vigor declined with each consecutive night of interrupted rest.

A newer review of the data showed that women who were experincing sleep disorders like sleep apnea or insomnia had significantly higher odds of female sexual disfunction.

Lack of sleep can cause you to gain weight.

A 2011 study examined the relationship between sleep and weight in more than 21,000 adults over the age of 20. Participants who slept less than 5 hours each night over the course of the 3-year study were more likely to gain weight and eventually have obesity.

Those who slept between 7 and 8 hours fared better on the scale.

In addition to weight gain, people who don’t get enough sleep (or who get too much) have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Researchers examined 10 separate studies focused on sleep and diabetes. Their findings suggested that 7 to 8 hours of rest is an ideal range to help avoid insulin issues that could lead to diabetes.

You’re three times more likely to be involved in a car accident if you get 6 or fewer hours of sleep each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

The most vulnerable people are shift workers, commercial drivers, business travelers, and anyone else working long or odd hours. It’s important to get enough sleep before getting behind the wheel.

If the health risks don’t convince you, getting more sleep can help you look your best.

A study involving people between the ages of 30 and 50 evaluated their sleep habits and the condition of their skin. The results suggested that those with too little sleep had more fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin color, and marked looseness of the skin.

Participants who didn’t have enough sleep were also more dissatisfied with their appearance than their well-rested counterparts.

Getting enough sleep isn’t just about your appearance — it supports your well-being and could save your life.

Take some time to consider the risks of not getting enough sleep before you continue that late-night TV marathon. Try turning out the lights early and getting 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep for your health and well-being.