Everyone or at least most of us have experienced not getting enough sleep the night before, which causes you to be cranky and easily irritated. Even just one night of no sleep will leave you feeling like a zombie. Well, this may be a sign of sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation has a direct impact on how we think and feel. While the short-term effects are more obvious, prolonged sleep deprivation can increase the risk of physical and mental health problems in the long run.
So, what are its effects?
Dumbs You Down
The importance of sleep in thinking and learning cannot be overstated. Sleep deprivation affects various cognitive functions in a variety of ways. It affects attention, awareness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving, for starters. This allows more efficient learning and more challenging. Also, you won’t be able to remember everything you learned and experienced during the day if you don’t get enough sleep.
Chronic Illnesses
Loss of sleep can also cause numerous chronic illnesses such as:
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Heart failure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Heart disease
- Heart attack
Mental Illness
Sleep deprivation and sleep problems can exacerbate depressive symptoms over time. Individuals who had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to sleep just under six hours at night, according to a study.
Insomnia, the most prevalent sleep problem, is the most strongly linked to depression. Insomnia and depression are both illnesses that help each other grow. Sleep deprivation intensifies the symptoms of depression, and depression can make falling asleep more difficult. On the plus side, addressing insomnia can help with depression and its symptoms, and vice versa.
Premature Aging
After a few nights of not sleeping, most people develop pale skin and swollen eyes. Chronic sleep deprivation, on the other hand, has been linked to dull skin, fine wrinkles, and dark bags under the eyes.
Whenever you don’t have enough sleep, your body produces extra cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Cortisol, in high doses, can degrade skin collagen, a protein that makes skin smooth and elastic.
In addition, lack of sleep leads the body to produce insufficient amounts of human growth hormone. Human growth hormone helps us grow when we’re young. It aids in the growth of muscle mass, the thickening of skin, and the strengthening of bones as we age.
You Might Cause an Accident
Sleep deprivation was a contributing element in some of history’s worst catastrophes. Tiredness has the same effect on response time as driving while inebriated. Sleep deprivation and poor-quality sleep have been linked to workplace accidents and injuries, according to studies.
Employees who reported extreme daytime sleepiness had considerably greater work accidents, especially repeated work accidents, according to one study. They also took additional sick days as a result of the disaster.
Conclusion
Sleep is just as important and should not be cast aside. Not only does it affect your physical health and well-being, but so does your mental and emotional state of mind. You become a lot more prone to illnesses and even accidents. So, getting enough sleep during the night should be must for everyone so as to work efficiently and to avoid any negative effects.
