By Health Square desk Many of us have experienced feeling tired, cranky, and spending the day nodding off after a night of tossing and turning. But you will feel something more than just being groggy and grumpy after missing the recommended hours of sleep. Although we are all aware that sleep deprivation has adverse effects on our health, what are they?
Well, the long-term sleep deprivation causes devastation to your body systems, it’s true. Sleep deprivation shakes your mental health, puts your physical health at stake. It causes problems like weight gain and weakens the immune system.
Read below to get to know how sleep deprivation affects different systems of the body. But first, get to know what sleep deprivation is?
What is Sleep Deprivation?
Sleep deprivation is a mental health condition that occurs when an individual does not get enough sleep. Sleep deficiency is a broader concept including the following:
- Not getting enough sleep (sleep deprivation)
- Sleeping at the wrong time of day
- Not sleeping well or not having a comforting sleep environment.
- A sleep disorder that affects sleep patterns or sleep quality
Sleeping is a basic human need, like eating, drinking, and breathing. It is vital for good health and well-being.
Sleep deficiency can lead to physical and mental health problems, injuries, loss of productivity, and even a greater likelihood of death.
What Are The Causes of Sleep Deprivation?
Although sleep deprivation is not a disease in itself, it is the side effect or result of certain other health disorders, medicines or other life circumstances.
Sleep deprivation is more common in older people rather than young adults. However, older people need the same duration of sleep as much as young people. Yet, a large older population sleep lightly and for lesser hours.
Few common causes of sleep deprivation are
- Sleeping Disorder: These include sleep apnoea, narcolepsy, and insomnia
- GERD
- Ageing: It affects the sleeping pattern because of health disorders and sometimes medicine
- Illness: common issues are depression, chronic pain syndrome, Alzheimer’s, cancer, stroke
- Some of the other factors are late-night awakening habits, particularly in young kids, new-born baby or change of environment.
What Are The Symptoms?
At first, the symptoms are minor, but over time, the problem can become severe. Early symptoms are
- Drowsiness
- Decreased concentration
- Memory loss
- Physical tiredness
- Becoming more prone to infections
Severe symptoms include an increased risk of developing disorders such as
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- Stroke
- Asthma
- Severe mood swings
- Insomnia
- Narcolepsy
What is The Treatment of Sleep Deprivation?
Treatment of the problem depends on the severity of the issue. For the first step, the doctor may not prescribe medication and may recommend adopting self-care methods. For more serious disorders, the doctor may try specific other treatment plans such as
- Sleeping pills: but the drugs efficacy keeps on decreasing after a few weeks
- Light therapy: it can help a person with serious insomnia. Light therapy includes the readjustment of the internal biological clock.
- CPAP machine: Another option for a person suffering from sleep apnoea is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure machine. The device provides a constant flow of air through a mask, keeping the airway open.
How to Prevent Sleep Deprivation?
Simple strategies can make a difference and improve your sleep. A regular exercise of a half an hour daily exercise makes you fall asleep better at night. Another way is to reduce the intake of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol helps you to sleep better.
- Quitting smoking
- Limiting day-time naps
- Refraining from caffeine past noon
- Going to bed at the same time each night
- Waking up at the same time every morning
- Sticking to your bedtime schedule during weekends and holidays
- Spending an hour before bed doing relaxing activities such as taking a hot bath, reading a book, meditating,
- Avoiding heavy meals before bedtime
- Refraining from using electronic devices right before bed
- Exercising regularly during day-time
- Reducing alcohol intake
- Quitting smoking
If the problem continues, then consult your doctor for diagnosis of an underlying health condition.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation can have profound and long-lasting effects on health. The adverse effects of sleep deprivation can result in physical, mental, and psychological disorders. A few major systems affected by the problem are discussed below.
Central Nervous System
The central nervous system is the information gateway of the body. Adequate sleep is required to keep this system running properly as sleep deprivation affects the processing of information in the brain.
New pathways are formed between nerve cells during sleep, which aids in retaining the information you learn. In the absence of sleep, the brain feels exhausted and its functions are impaired. Sleep-deprived people are not able to concentrate and learn new things. It also reduces delayed response to signals.
Irregular sleep patterns also harm the mental abilities and emotional well-being of a person. It badly affects the decision making and creative skills of a person. Long-term sleep deprivation can result in psychological disorders. Some of them are
- Hallucinations-listening and hearing things which are not real
- Bipolar mood disorder
- Impulsive behaviour
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Suicidal thoughts
- Immune system
During sleep, the immune system produces antibodies and cytokines. These are substances that are important in fighting against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria, within the body. Specific cytokines in the immune system help improve sleep and enhance the immune system’s ability to defend the body against diseases.
Sleep deprivation prevents the immune system from defending the body effectively against diseases. Long-term lack of sleep makes a person more prone to diseases such as diabetes mellitus and heart problems.
Respiratory System
The relationship between sleep and the respiratory system is interlinked in both ways. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a nighttime disorder that reduces sleep quality by interrupting sleep.
When you wake up at night, it results in sleep deprivation, leaving a person more vulnerable to respiratory infections. It causes common colds, flu, and even exacerbates existing respiratory problems, such as chronic lung illness.
Sleep Deprivation Causes Weight Gain
In addition to overeating and not exercising, a significant risk factor for obesity is sleep deprivation. Sleep affects the levels of leptin and ghrelin, the hormones responsible for regulating feelings of fullness and hunger, respectively. In the absence of sufficient sleep, the brain reduces leptin levels and increases ghrelin levels. The flux of this appetite stimulant can explain the factor contributing to night snacking, which can lead to obesity.
Decreased sleep can make a person feel tired and physically inactive during the day. Overtime reduces physical activity and makes you obese because of less calorie burning.
Another contributing factor to weight gain from less sleep is a low level of insulin production after eating. Additionally, sleep deprivation also causes an increase in the body’s tolerance to glucose. This disruption leads to decreased insulin production and an increased risk of obesity.
Cardiac system
According to a study linking insomnia, heart attack, and stroke, the risk of these diseases increases in sleep-deprived people. Sleep affects the process that helps to keep the heart and blood vessels healthy.
Sleep also plays a significant role in increasing the body’s ability to repair and heal blood vessels and cardiac tissues. Researchers also believe that inadequate sleep leads to disturbances in underlying health processes, such as glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammation.
Another study claims a relationship between sleep apnea and cardiac health. Men with sleep apnoea are 58% more prone to developing cardiac problems than men who sleep adequately at night.
Endocrine System
Sleep plays a pivotal role in hormone production. At least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep is necessary for testosterone production. Waking up repeatedly can disrupt hormone production.
Interrupted sleep also affects the production of growth hormones, particularly in kids. Moreover, the growth hormone is also required to build muscle mass and repair cells and tissues.
Although growth hormone is released by the pituitary gland throughout the day, adequate sleep is necessary to help regulate its release.
Conclusion
Sleep deprivation affects all bodily systems, including both physical and mental health. Sleep is essential for all age groups, and a lack of it can affect a person’s cognitive abilities. However, its effects can be devastating for the younger population, as they are in the developing phase.
Sleep disorders should not be ignored at any stage of life. Proper medical care and remedies should be adopted to minimise the loss in the future.
Ayesha Gulzar