Unpleasant Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Lack of sleep can make you grumpy and foggy, but it can do more than that. Lack of sleep can affect your whole body, your overall health, your memory, your looks, and even the ability to lose weight. Here are some of the most unpleasant effects of sleep deprivation. It is after you learn more about what sleep deprivation can do to your body that you will get convinced to try to improve your sleep.
1. Sleep deprivation causes accidents. Sleep deprivation was a key factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history, and we would only like to mention Chernobyl. It is a safety hazard on the road as well. Drowsiness slows down reaction time and is the cause for 100,000 auto crashes and around 1,550 crash-related deaths.
2. Sleep deprivation leads to serious health problems. It increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and obesity.
3. Sleepiness leads to depression. If you sleep less than 6 hours per night, you are more prone to develop depression and anxiety.
Insomnia, which is the most common sleep disorder, has the strongest connection with depression. People diagnosed with insomnia are five times as likely to develop depression as those who don’t suffer from this disorder.
4. Lack of sleep affects the skin, forcing premature aging. A few nights of lack of sleep or poor quality sleep are enough to make your eyes look puffy, and the skin looks sallow. Chronic sleep loss leads to even more severe effects, including dark circles around the eyes, fine lines, and lackluster skin. It happens because when you don’t get enough sleep, the body releases more cortisol than usual. Cortisol is the stress hormone, and it is powerful in breaking down skin collagen, the protein that keeps the skin elastic.
5. Sleep deprivation affects memory. You become forgetful. Memory consolidates through what researchers call “sharp wave ripples”. These happen during the deepest levels of sleep.
6. Weight gain. One of the most unpleasant effects of sleep deprivation is weight gain. Lack of sleep leads to an increase in appetite and hunger. A 2004 study shows that people who get less than 6 hours of sleep per night have 30% increased chances to become obese.
Sleep deprivation is bad for your overall health. There are a few simple lifestyle changes that can help you improve sleep quality. You should try them as fast as possible. One of the main causes of poor sleep is the old mattress. Having it replaced with a new, more modern one, comes with immediate, positive effects. We highly recommend you to have a look at memory foam mattresses. You will sleep well on one of these. Since the offer available online is highly diverse, you should access this source for some useful tips on how to find a mattress that suits your needs and preferences. Memory foam mattresses are relatively new on the market, but they are already well-known for their extreme comfort. The material is specially designed to mold to the body, which is why you will feel like you are sleeping on a cloud.
Making the bedroom environment a pleasant and relaxing one, with reduced noise, reduced light, and a quality mattress helps improve your night’s sleep. However, there are other things that you can try as well. Read more about these here. If you switch to decaf coffee after 2 pm, reduce late afternoon napping, take a walk every day and do something relaxing before you go to bed as a bedtime routine, your sleep is going to be improved.
1. Sleep deprivation causes accidents. Sleep deprivation was a key factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history, and we would only like to mention Chernobyl. It is a safety hazard on the road as well. Drowsiness slows down reaction time and is the cause for 100,000 auto crashes and around 1,550 crash-related deaths.
2. Sleep deprivation leads to serious health problems. It increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and obesity.
3. Sleepiness leads to depression. If you sleep less than 6 hours per night, you are more prone to develop depression and anxiety.
Insomnia, which is the most common sleep disorder, has the strongest connection with depression. People diagnosed with insomnia are five times as likely to develop depression as those who don’t suffer from this disorder.
4. Lack of sleep affects the skin, forcing premature aging. A few nights of lack of sleep or poor quality sleep are enough to make your eyes look puffy, and the skin looks sallow. Chronic sleep loss leads to even more severe effects, including dark circles around the eyes, fine lines, and lackluster skin. It happens because when you don’t get enough sleep, the body releases more cortisol than usual. Cortisol is the stress hormone, and it is powerful in breaking down skin collagen, the protein that keeps the skin elastic.
5. Sleep deprivation affects memory. You become forgetful. Memory consolidates through what researchers call “sharp wave ripples”. These happen during the deepest levels of sleep.
6. Weight gain. One of the most unpleasant effects of sleep deprivation is weight gain. Lack of sleep leads to an increase in appetite and hunger. A 2004 study shows that people who get less than 6 hours of sleep per night have 30% increased chances to become obese.
Sleep deprivation is bad for your overall health. There are a few simple lifestyle changes that can help you improve sleep quality. You should try them as fast as possible. One of the main causes of poor sleep is the old mattress. Having it replaced with a new, more modern one, comes with immediate, positive effects. We highly recommend you to have a look at memory foam mattresses. You will sleep well on one of these. Since the offer available online is highly diverse, you should access this source for some useful tips on how to find a mattress that suits your needs and preferences. Memory foam mattresses are relatively new on the market, but they are already well-known for their extreme comfort. The material is specially designed to mold to the body, which is why you will feel like you are sleeping on a cloud.
Making the bedroom environment a pleasant and relaxing one, with reduced noise, reduced light, and a quality mattress helps improve your night’s sleep. However, there are other things that you can try as well. Read more about these here. If you switch to decaf coffee after 2 pm, reduce late afternoon napping, take a walk every day and do something relaxing before you go to bed as a bedtime routine, your sleep is going to be improved.