Here's What Sleep Deprivation Does To Your Body

You may be asking yourself, “Sleep? What’s that?”

You wouldn’t be the only one. About 87% of high school students in the U.S. get less sleep than the recommended 8-10 hours a night. And though most of you will disregard my warning with a yawn and continue to surf the Internet into the early morning hours, chronic sleep deprivation is just as significant a risk factor for disease as smoking. Right now, it may just seem like you’re attempting not to drift off during class and waiting to dive into bed after school, but it can snowball into a slew of serious health issues down the road if you keep pulling all-nighters. Here are 15 effects of sleep deprivation:

1. Impaired brain function- Without sleep, your brain has no time to rest. It affects your creativity, ability to pass judgement, and decision-making. You miss out on small details, can’t assess the situation accurately, and are more likely to make mistakes.

2. Lower life expectancy- Research indicates that those who sleep less than six hours a night raise their risk of death by 12%. Lack of sleep can also more than double the risk of death from all causes.

3. Increased risk of accidental injury/death- When the body is exhausted, your brain is apt to fall into micro sleep. The brain falls asleep for a period of 30 seconds while the eyes remain open, but the person is essentially blind. Because it is out of your control and can happen at any time, you're more prone to have accidents or make mistakes which can be dangerous when operating machinery. Especially since studies show that the alertness of a person who has gone without sleep for 24 hours resembles that of someone with a 0.1% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). To put it in perspective, a BAC of 0.08% is considered “legally drunk.” Past incidents such as the 1986 nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl have been attributed to sleep deprivation.

4. Increased risk of obesity & weight gain- Skipping out on shuteye upsets the balance of hormones controlling appetite and metabolism that are normally released during sleep. For example, sleep loss elevates the body’s levels of ghrelin and insulin and lowers the levels of leptin. Insulin promotes fat storage while ghrelin creates feelings of hunger, resulting in excessive cravings and overeating. On the other hand, leptin is responsible for letting the body know when it is full, so depleted reserves of leptin can force the body to not register that it has had enough food.

5. Increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes- Researchers found that adults who slept five hours or less were at an increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. This could be because those who are sleep-deprived often have higher levels of insulin. Excess insulin is associated with with weight gain, a risk factor for diabetes.

6. Increased risk for stroke- Those who sleep less than 6 hours are four times more likely to have a stroke than those who sleep 7-8 hours. This applied even for those who had no other risk factors like smoking, poor diet, or inactivity. You may think you’re invincible because you’re healthy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you. Strokes are still the the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S

7. Increased risk for hypertension & heart disease- Even one night of insufficient sleep can increase blood pressure, which can worsen preexisting hypertension. Those sleeping less than six hours a night are at double the risk for atherosclerosis (clogging/hardening of arteries associated with coronary artery disease), heart failure, and heart attacks. Considering heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S., this reason alone should be enough to fix your sleeping schedule.

8. Problems with mood- Insufficient sleep makes it harder to regulate your emotions, resulting in mood swings and irritability.

9. Compromised immunity- During sleep, your body produces antibodies and cytokines that help to fight off pathogens that can lead to infection. When sleep deprived, your body cannot renew these important cells, leading to a weak immune response.

10. Decrease in libido- Lack of sleep makes people drowsy, tense, and lethargic. So it’s no surprise that sleep-deprived men and women are less interested in sex.

11. Increased risk for depression & anxiety- Sleep loss and depression go hand-in-hand. Sleep deprivation can worsen depression and depression can lead to lack of sleep. For this reason, insomniacs are five times more likely to develop depression.

12. Premature aging- Chronic sleep deprivation leads to wrinkles, dark circles, and sallow skin. In addition, the body doesn’t release enough growth hormone (which is responsible for increasing muscle mass, thickening skin, and building stronger bones) while releasing too much cortisol (a stress hormone that in excess, breaks down collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic).

13. Memory problems- Not getting enough sleep can make it harder to form short-term memories and interfere with your access to long-term memories.

14. Hallucinations- Sleep deprivation mimics the symptoms of many mental illnesses. If you deprive yourself of sleep long enough, you’re more likely to suffer hallucinations along with disorganized thoughts, paranoia, and psychosis.

15. Stress- Stress and sleep problems are also directly related. Though under stress may have problems sleeping, and those who are sleep-deprived are more likely to be stressed. This is due to the increase in the stress hormone cortisol in both cases.

All the side effects above could be avoided if you simply arranged your schedule to allow more time to sleep. Don’t let your health slip out of your hands by something that could easily be fixed. Spread the message so we can all put a stop to the silent epidemic of sleep deprivation that’s sweeping the nation!

#Lifestyle