Here Are The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Body.
It is common knowledge that a good night’s sleep is crucial for maintaining alertness and having enough physical and mental strength to finish all of your daily obligations properly. The hectic pace of a modern life has had a profound effect on our sleeping routine which, consequently, led to the development of sleeping disorders with many people. Many of us tend to stay up late for various reasons and skimp on sleep night after night, disregarding the adverse impact that has on our well-being. Eventually, we realize that we have become more moody, quite forgetful and extremely stressed out and that we are unable to function efficiently and keep up with daily duties. Even though it’s frequently overlooked by a majority of people, sleep deprivation is a serious health issue that can have much more damaging side-effects than just a feeling of fatigue and anxious look. Here are a few detrimental effects a sleeping disorder might have on your physical and mental health.
-
Poor quality of life
A lack of sleep may lead to a groggy morning when we are feeling grumpy while, actually, we should be feeling cheerful and positive because a new day is ahead of us. Not having enough sleep ultimately affects our quality of life as we no longer have enough time nor sufficient energy to engage in all those enjoyable activities we used to do. We might even find ourselves falling asleep during a casual everyday conversation or struggling to stay awake while performing important daily duties at work. Such situations are not only embarrassing but they might dramatically influence our future job and career prospects. Furthermore, sleep deprivation might adversely affect our sex lives as it decreases libido and we become less interest in sex, which, in turn, can cause marital problems.
-
Obesity
According to the research, sleep deprivation also has an immense effect on the hormones which regulate our appetite. In other words, sleep loss raises the level of ghrelin which stimulates our appetite and decreases leptin, the satiety hormone. Unfortunately, this might lead to considerable weight gain, and sometimes even obesity which usually affects one’s overall physical condition. You might feel an intense craving for food rich in calories such as fast food or sweets which should otherwise be avoided at all costs. Also, lack of sleep might play with your metabolism by affecting your energy levels.
-
Forgetfulness
One of the most obvious side-effects of sleep deprivation is forgetfulness. You might frequently find yourself unable to remember even the simplest and most recent events as you were probably focused on many different things at the same time or you were just too tired to concentrate on what was happening in your surroundings. Too little sleep can impair your nervous system and prevent your brain from functioning properly thus disrupting both your long-term and short-term memory. Consequently, both decision-making and problem-solving processes might turn to be pretty time-consuming and overwhelming even when performing some trivial activities such as choosing a daily outfit. Therefore, besides establishing an efficient sleeping routine, you need to purchase a new best mattress for the money as it will help you have a good night’s sleep and charge your batteries for the next busy day.
-
Overreaction to emotional stimuli
Lack of sleep does not only influence our memory, creativity and cognitive skills in general, but it also has a huge impact on our emotional state. When we’re sleep-deprived, we tend to be rather impulsive and usually over-react to some unimportant things. People who sleep less than seven hours and obviously have not had enough sleep, do not show positive emotions, even though they claim that they’re happy. Due to the negligence and irresponsible behavior regarding sleeping habits, many people suffer from long-term emotional disorders such as depression or anxiety. According to research, there’s a high possibility that people who suffer from insomnia will develop depression. However, once the regular sleeping routine is restored, the symptoms of depression start to disappear.
-
Increased risk of dying
Recent studies indicate that people who suffer from a sleeping disorder are more likely to experience some serious accidents and generally are at higher risk of death. When we feel the difficulty to stay awake in spite of consuming a few cups of coffee or an energy drink, then our body is trying to send us the message that we must rest so as to be able to go through the day. This might be highly dangerous and even lethal especially if you’re driving your car. It’s always advisable to stop the car or rent a room in a nearby hotel and get enough sleep before continuing the journey. Also, sleepless nights can severely affect our cardiovascular system as sleep is essential when it comes to blood pressure regulation thus preventing serious illnesses such as heart disease or stroke.