…You need sleep as much
as you need to breathe and eat. While you’re sleeping, your body is busy
tending to your physical and mental health and getting you ready for another
day.
In children and
adolescents, hormones that promote growth are released during sleep. These
hormones help build muscle mass, as well as make repairs to cells and tissues.
Sleep is vital to development during puberty.
When you’re deprived of
sleep, your brain can’t function properly, affecting your cognitive abilities
and emotional state. If it continues long enough, it can lower your body’s
defenses, putting you at risk of developing chronic illness. The more obvious
signs of sleep deprivation are excessive sleepiness, yawning, and irritability.
Chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with balance, coordination, and
decision-making abilities. You’re at risk falling asleep during the day, even
if you fight it. Stimulants like caffeine are not able to override your body’s
profound need for sleep.
When you’re sleep
deprived, the effects of alcohol consumption are magnified, as is your risk of
being involved in an accident. According to Harvard Medical School, studies
show that sleeping less than five hours a night increases the risk of death
from all causes by about 15 percent. Sleep deprivation is dangerous to your
mental and physical health and can dramatically lower your quality of life.
Central
Nervous System
…Your central nervous
system is the information highway of your body. Sleep is necessary to keep it
functioning properly. During sleep, the brain rests busy neurons and forms new
pathways so you’re ready to face the world in the morning. In children and
young adults, the brain releases growth hormones during sleep. While you’re
sleeping, your body is also producing proteins that help cells repair damage.
Sleep deprivation
leaves the brain exhausted, so it can’t perform its duties well. The most
obvious effect is sleepiness. You may find yourself yawning a lot and feeling
sluggish. Lack of sleep interferes with your ability to concentrate and learn
new things. It can negatively impact both short-term and long-term memory. It
gets in the way of your decision-making process and stifles creativity. Your
emotions are also affected, making you more likely to have a short temper and
mood swings. Overall cognitive function is impaired.
If sleep deprivation
continues long enough, you’re at increased risk of hallucinations, especially
if you have narcolepsy or systemic lupus erythematosis. Lack of sleep can
trigger mania in people who have manic depression. Other risks include
impulsive behavior, depression, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts.
A side effect of sleep
deprivation is micro sleep. That’s when you’re asleep for only a few seconds or
a few minutes, but you don’t realize it. If you’re sleep deprived, micro sleep
is out of your control and can be extremely dangerous if you’re driving. It can
also make you more prone to injury due to trips and falls. According to the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, insufficient sleep has played a part
in tragic accidents involving airplanes, ships, and even nuclear reactor
meltdowns.
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Immune
System
…When you’re sleeping,
your immune system produces protective cytokines and infection-fighting
antibodies and cells. It uses these tools to fight off foreign substances like
bacteria and viruses. These cytokines and other protective substances also help
you sleep, giving the immune system more energy to defend against illness.
Sleep deprivation means
your immune system doesn’t have a chance to build up its forces. According to
the Mayo Clinic, studies show that if you don’t get enough sleep, it’s more
likely that your body won’t be able to fend off invaders. It may also take you
longer to recover from illness. Long-term sleep deprivation raises your risk of
developing chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
…Since sleep can weaken
your immune system, you’re more vulnerable to respiratory problems like the
common cold and influenza. If you already have a chronic lung disease, sleep
deprivation is likely to make it worse.
Digestive
System
…According to Harvard
Medical School, a few studies have found a link between lack of sleep and
weight gain. Along with eating too much and not exercising, sleep deprivation
is one of the risk factors for obesity.
Sleep deprivation increases
production of the stress hormone cortisol. Lack of sleep lowers your levels of
a hormone called leptin, which tells your brain that you’ve had enough to eat.
In addition, it raises levels of a biochemical called ghrelin, which is an
appetite stimulant.
Sleep deprivation
prompts your body to release higher levels of insulin after you eat, promoting
fat storage and increasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular
System
…Since you’re more
likely to gain weight if you’re chronically sleep deprived, you’re also at
increased risk of problems with your cardiovascular system.
Sleep plays a vital
role in your body’s ability to heal and repair your blood vessels and heart.
Sleep deprivation can lead to higher risk of chronic health problems like high
blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. According to Harvard Medical School,
for people with hypertension, one night without enough sleep can cause elevated
blood pressure all through the next day.
- See more at:
http://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body#sthash.vHe529Bf.dpuf
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