Sleep deprivation can have a severe impact on your mental functions and physical health.
Inadequate sleep has been related to a variety of health issues, including weight gain and a weakened immune system.
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If you’ve ever had a sleepless night, you know how you feel the next day: weary, cranky, and out of sorts.
However, regularly failing to get the required 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night can have major long-term implications.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Body
Central Nervous System
Sleep deprivation affects the body’s central nervous system.
Your central nervous system is the principal communication network in your body.
Sleep is essential for optimum functioning, but prolonged insomnia can impair information transmission and processing.
During sleep, neuronal connections emerge between nerve cells in the brain, facilitating the retention of new knowledge.
Without appropriate sleep, your brain becomes weary and fails to function properly.
This can cause difficulty with concentration and learning, delayed body signals, poor coordination, and an increased risk of accidents.
Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on your cognitive capacity and emotional well-being.
You may notice yourself becoming more agitated or having mood fluctuations, which can impair decision-making and creativity.
Prolonged sleep deprivation can also cause hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) and provoke manic episodes in those with bipolar disorder.
Other psychological hazards are:
Symptoms may include impulsive behaviour, anxiety, depression, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts.
You might also experience “microsleep,” which is when you fall asleep for a few seconds without realising it.
This is uncontrollable and poses serious risks, particularly when driving or operating heavy machinery.
The Immune System
During sleep, your immune system creates defensive molecules such as antibodies and cytokines to resist bacterial and viral infections.
Some cytokines stimulate sleep, which boosts your immune response.
Inadequate sleep impairs your immune system’s capacity to operate properly, making it more difficult for your body to fight off infections and extending recovery durations.
Long-term sleep deprivation increases the risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
The Respiratory System
The relationship between sleep and the respiratory system is bidirectional.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can impair sleep quality, resulting in sleep loss and an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections such as the common cold and influenza.
Furthermore, insufficient sleep can exacerbate pre-existing respiratory disorders, such as chronic lung disease.
The digestive system
Sleep deprivation, combined with a bad diet and a lack of exercise, contributes to weight growth and obesity.
Sleep affects the levels of hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, which control appetite and satiety.
Leptin signals to the brain that you’ve eaten enough, whereas sleep deprivation lowers leptin levels and increases ghrelin, which stimulates appetite.
This hormonal imbalance could explain late-night munching or overeating.
Lack of sleep can also deplete your motivation to exercise, resulting in weight gain over time owing to lower calorie expenditure and muscle mass.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation lowers insulin synthesis following meals, which is necessary for blood sugar control.
It can also cause impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, which contribute to obesity and diabetes.
The cardiovascular system
Sleep is essential for sustaining heart and vascular health, impacting parameters such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation.
It also aids in the mending and repair of blood vessels and the heart.
Insufficient sleep has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, with research indicating that insomnia can raise the incidence of heart attacks and strokes.
The Endocrine System
Sleep is extremely important for hormone synthesis.
To manufacture testosterone properly, a minimum of 3 hours of unbroken sleep is required, which usually coincides with the first REM cycle. Frequent awakenings can impair hormone synthesis.
This disruption can also have an impact on the production of growth hormones, which are necessary for muscle mass development and tissue repair, especially in children and teenagers.
The pituitary gland releases growth hormone throughout the day, but appropriate sleep and regular exercise are required for optimal release.
