LACK OF SLEEP: THESE ARE THE DANGERS TO YOUR HEALTH
Lack of sleep is a major ailment for most people who suffer from insomnia. Sometimes, people with a heavy workload also experience this problem.
Lack of sleep is a major ailment for most people who suffer from insomnia. Sometimes, people with a heavy workload also experience this problem.
Ideally, adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each day. Getting enough quality sleep can make you feel more refreshed and ready for the next day's activities.
Unfortunately, many activities, such as work or other social activities, cause a person to be sleep deprived. What are the health consequences?
Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Health
Dr. Raghu Reddy, a sleep medicine specialist from the University of Arkansas, says that taking weekends off can help compensate for the five hours of sleep lost per week. However, a lack of sleep of more than twenty hours is very dangerous and can disrupt physical and emotional health.
If you don't get enough sleep, it can have the following impacts:
1. Cause diabetes
The effects of sleep deprivation are often overlooked, but it can trigger the body's stress response, resulting in the release of the hormones cortisol and norepinephrine, which are linked to insulin resistance. This condition impacts the hormones in the body that control appetite.
2. Stroke
Lack of sleep can also increase the risk of stroke, as it impedes blood flow to the brain.
3. Hypertension
High blood pressure can increase as a result of one to six hours of sleep deprivation per day, which can disrupt daily activities and increase systolic blood pressure.
4. Uterine Cancer
The anti-cancer hormone, melatonin, decreases when we don't get enough sleep. Lack of sleep also causes increased levels of the hormone estrogen, a steroid that helps the growth of sex organs. This can lead to breast cancer in women if it persists during the sleep cycle.
5. Lifestyle Changes
As mentioned earlier, lack of sleep can affect hormones that control appetite. This is due to a decrease in leptin, which signals satiety to the brain, and an increase in ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. If this continues, eating patterns will be disrupted and the body is more susceptible to other diseases.
6. Increases the risk of heart disease
People who tend to sleep too late and lack sleep are more susceptible to heart disease. It can also cause increased blood pressure, which disrupts heart function.
7. Impairs brain function
Long-term sleep deprivation can impair a person's ability to think and absorb information, making them less able to focus on activities.
8. Causes anxiety
Lack of sleep causes a decrease in neurotransmitters (chemical compounds produced by the brain) responsible for regulating mood. When sleep time is continuously reduced, this can affect mood, which can lead to depression.
Furthermore, it can increase anticipatory reactions in the brain's emotional centers, making people more anxious.
9. Weight gain
A study found that people who sleep less than six hours per night tend to be fatter than people who sleep between seven and nine hours per night.
This lack of sleep is associated with a larger appetite and increased hunger. If you want to lose weight, activities that cause you to stay up late should be avoided.
10. Older-looking skin
If you don't get enough sleep, your skin will look older. This is due to the fact that the hormone cortisol is released more when staying up late. This is because collagen is a protein that helps keep skin smooth and elastic.
Furthermore, lack of sleep can cause puffy eyes and pale skin. Frequently staying up late can lead to sleep deprivation. As a result, fine lines of aging appear on the face and make skin look duller.
The appearance of dark circles under the eyes is a more common effect of people who don't get enough sleep.
11. Decreased Sexual Activity
One effect of sleep deprivation that can be experienced by both men and women is a decrease in sexual desire. Fatigue, exhaustion, and stress caused by sleep deprivation reduce desire and attraction. Furthermore, it has been reported that half of men who suffer from sleep apnea have low testosterone levels, which results in a lack of sexual interest.
12. Ease of Illness
To help the body fight stress, inflammation, and infection, the immune system produces cytokines. The body releases cytokines while we sleep. With reduced sleep, cytokine production also decreases.
Lack of sleep also reduces the immune system's ability to fight infections and cell function. This can certainly interfere with the immune system's ability to fight infections and the speed of the natural healing process.
13. Forgetfulness
If sleep is disrupted, the brain's ability to process and store memories will also be impaired. This is because the neural connections that support memory develop during sleep.
A study shows that continued sleep deprivation can reduce the brain's ability to think and process data.
Often, lack of sleep causes drowsiness, which leads to forgetfulness. Memory can worsen later in life if this habit persists.
These are some of the consequences you can experience from insufficient sleep. Although it may seem trivial, reduced sleep can impact your health if it persists over a long period of time. If you experience sleep problems, consult a doctor immediately.
Tags:
HEALTH