Effects of sleep deprivation

Whenever we go out or meet someone, we hear a lot of people complaining about tiredness and having no energy. Most of us actually do not understand the adverse effects that lack of sleep can have on human mind. The community at large often underestimates sleep whereas it is one of the most essential elements of human body that allows us to perform critical daily functions at peak optimization. An individual’s poor sleep habits paired with sleep loss can have negative effects on one’s health as well as on efficiency.

Just like other problems that humanity is facing today, sleep deprivation is also something that needs to be sought after. People have been known to suffer from issues which not only prevent them from achieving optimum sleep regimen but also bring adverse effects to their cognitive abilities. Let’s break that down a bit more.

1. Cold: People who do not get enough sleep are more likely to pick up every bug that travels around their work place. Though most people in the modern world do not consider it a reason but catching up cold due to sleep deprivation is pretty common. According to a research conducted on 153 people that were exposed to common cold, people who got less than 7 hours of sleep in the two weeks were almost three times more likely to get sick than the ones who had 8 or more hours of sleep.
2. Tummy Troubles: Inflammatory bowel disease and acid reflux are considered to get worse with sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep places people at risk of developing IBD and Inflammatory bowel syndrome. Also, people with Crohn’s disease are likely to experience a relapse due to sleep deprivation.
3. Mood swings and irritability: Sleep and mood swings are closely connected. This can cause irritability which in turn increases the risks of developing mood disorders. When you are running low on sleep, it seems that the whole world is out to get you. Sleep deprivation results in an increase in negative mood and decrease in positive mood. People with less sleep feel less friendly, emphatic, and elated.
4. Headaches and migraines: Lack of sleep causes headaches and migraines. Lack of sleep trigger migraines and causes them to become more frequent. There is some kind of biological link between sleep and headaches and it has been known for decades. One thing that is still unclear is whether headaches actually cause disrupted sleep or whether headaches are due to irregular sleep patterns.
5. Difficulty learning: For optimal learning and memory function, healthy sleep is extremely important whereas lack of sleep reduces the ability to remember and process new information. A sleep deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore fails to learn efficiently.
6. Poor vision: Lack of sleep is also linked with double vision and dimness. The more you stay awake, the more you are likely to hallucinate.
7. Weight gain: Sleep deprivation causes weight gain. It creates a viscous cycle in our body which makes us prone to various factors contributing to weight gain. Lack of sleep increases the levels of our stress hormones which result in an increased appetite.

Via: Business Insider