This article reviews the short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption, emphasizing its impact on brain function and systemic physiology. Sleep disruptions, which can be caused by lifestyle, environmental, psychosocial, and medical factors, have significant adverse effects on health. Short-term consequences include increased stress responsivity, somatic pain, reduced quality of life, emotional distress, mood disorders, and cognitive and performance deficits in healthy adults. In adolescents, sleep disruption impacts psychosocial health, school performance, and risk-taking behaviors. In children, it leads to behavioral problems and cognitive functioning issues. Long-term consequences include hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, weight-related issues, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer. Sleep disruption also increases all-cause mortality in men and worsens symptoms in gastrointestinal disorders. The bidirectional relationship between sleep disruption and health outcomes underscores the importance of managing underlying medical conditions to optimize sleep continuity and minimize sleep disruptions.This article reviews the short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption, emphasizing its impact on brain function and systemic physiology. Sleep disruptions, which can be caused by lifestyle, environmental, psychosocial, and medical factors, have significant adverse effects on health. Short-term consequences include increased stress responsivity, somatic pain, reduced quality of life, emotional distress, mood disorders, and cognitive and performance deficits in healthy adults. In adolescents, sleep disruption impacts psychosocial health, school performance, and risk-taking behaviors. In children, it leads to behavioral problems and cognitive functioning issues. Long-term consequences include hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, weight-related issues, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer. Sleep disruption also increases all-cause mortality in men and worsens symptoms in gastrointestinal disorders. The bidirectional relationship between sleep disruption and health outcomes underscores the importance of managing underlying medical conditions to optimize sleep continuity and minimize sleep disruptions.