Chronic sleep deprivation can have long-term consequences for your overall health and well-being. March 17, 2021 Consistently cutting short your sleep has been linked to worse heart health, brain health, gut health, and more. iStock Most of us would prefer a good night of sleep. We have more energy, we’re better able to focus, and we generally feel better the next day. But there’s growing evidence that sleep is really critical for maintaining good long-term health, too. The body can usually cope with occasionally staying up late, but if you’re frequently or chronically depriving yourself of sleep, there will be health prices to pay, says Sigrid C. Veasey, MD, a researcher and professor of medicine at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.