How sleep deprivation affects your health

Monday June 8, 2020 at 12:35 pm

We spend an average of 8 hours a day sleep and it is important because that is how our body recoups us.

Lots of people suffer from its deprivation considering it as a mild problem. However, that is hardly the case. Sleep deprivation can cause a lot of problems such as.

1. It affects the ability to learn

Sleep restores the neurons which help us learn, understand, and remember new information and improves concentration.

2. It affects other mental abilities

Sleep deprivation also affects our mental abilities like imagination and creativity and can also hamper our decision-making ability.

3. It can cause mental disorders

Sleep deprivation can cause mental disorders such as hallucinations, depression, anxiety, suicidal instincts, paranoia etc.

A common effect is a microsleep where you end up sleeping for a few seconds involuntarily – and this puts you at a major risk of road accidents.

4. It affects our immunity

Sleep produces infection-fighting substances like Cytokines. It will thus cause bring a deficiency of these substances leaving us prone to a number of substances.

5. Sleep deprivation can make you obese

It helps create such substances as leptin and ghrelin. Leptin tells you when you have had enough to it. It, therefore, lets you overeat. Also, it can leave you always feeling too exhausted to exercise in turn adding to your obesity.

6. It can cause diabetes

It will cause your body to release higher levels of insulin after you eat. Insulin, as you know, controls your blood sugar level. Higher insulin will prompt your body to have higher fat storage and increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.

7. It put you at higher risk to heart problems

Sleep is associated with keeping your blood vessels and whole cardiovascular system health. In its absence, one is prone to heart disease.

If you sleep less than 7 hours on average every day, you are sleep deprived. Some key signs are yawning, fatigue, irritability, etc.

Mostly it can be cured by avoiding by late-night caffeine and tea or such products, some healthy exercise daily, changes in lifestyles, etc. Consult a physician, if you are facing abnormal symptoms.

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