10 Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation
Most of us need around 8 hours sleep a night, although this can vary from person to person. We might sometimes go through one or even two nights without sleeping at times but most of us will sleep every night. Not getting the sleep that we need can be quite unpleasant for us and can have a considerable impact on the quality of our lives.
Sleep deprivation is usually only a short-term problem for most of us. It might be due to temporary disturbances keeping us awake or maybe even a sudden change in the weather. Others might have long term problems contributing to sleeplessness, though, and this can cause significant symptoms. Here’s a look at some of the symptoms that can be caused by a continued lack of sleep.
Symptom #1: Depression
Few of us are likely to feel great when we have not had enough sleep. It can be tough to get through the day and we are not likely to feel like doing much at all. For most of us, we will usually sleep well the following night and feel refreshed again. For some people, though, a lack of sleep can lead to depression.
If you do find that sleepless nights are a regular thing then you may well end up with depression. It can also create a vicious circle as depression can itself lead to sleepless nights, feeding back into the problem.
Symptom #2: Memory Loss
While our memories are quite impressive, they are not perfect. We can forget certain events or facts and it can lead to some awkward moments. Such memory loss is not usually significant, though, but it can be devastating to families in some cases. Memory loss is also a symptom of not getting enough sleep.
Studies have shown that as we are sleeping, events occur in the brain that help memories to become firmly implanted in our minds. This helps us to remember them when needed. However, if these memory consolidating events cannot take place due to a lack of sleep, then we are less likely to remember even important facts.
Symptom #3: Accident Prone
Many of us have jobs that involve physical skills. Even something as common as driving to work can be more technical than we imagine and a moment’s lapse in concentration could lead to disaster. A lack of sleep can lead to such lapses and sleeplessness is a common cause of serious accidents.
The extent of problems and accidents due to a lack of sleep have caused governments around the world to place legal and safety restrictions on how businesses operate. For example, truck drivers are limited to how long they can drive before taking a lengthy break. If you are feeling too tired to work, you should consider stopping, especially if you are operating heavy machinery.
Symptom #4: Increased Mortality
We will all come to the end of our lives someday. Some of us will live longer than others, though, depending on the overall quality of our lives. It is often said that one secret of a long and happy life is to get plenty of sleep – not getting enough sleep could well bring your life to a premature end.
A 2007 study carried out by the British government showed that people who get just 5 hours of sleep per night doubled their chances of dying prematurely. There are a wide range of natural causes that appear to be more fatal to people that sleep less. Cardiovascular disease, in particular, occurs more often among people that don’t get enough sleep.
Symptom #5: Libido Loss
Sex is one of the most natural acts there is and is performed throughout the animal kingdom. Studies have shown that sex is an important part of a relationship, helping to form and maintain bonds between partners.
If you are not getting enough sleep, though, your desire to have sex is likely to fall. Studies in men showed that a lack of sleep leads to a decrease in testosterone levels. This will, in turn, have a negative effect on their libido. A lack of sleep is likely to affect the libido of women as well.
Symptom #6: Slower Brain
Some people are smarter than others. Some will struggle to cope with even relatively simple tasks, while others can understand complex subjects and tasks that few others can even hope to process. Regardless, the majority of us still find suitable roles as adults regardless of our cognitive abilities.
If you have difficulty sleeping, though, then you will likely find that your ability to think is affected. Concentrating on one particular task can become difficult and learning new tasks more challenging. Even particularly intelligent people can find that their brains slow down if they don’t get the sleep that they need.
Symptom #7: Weight Gain
Excess weight can lead to significant health problems, so it is important to exercise and eat well when possible. Healthy living also helps to improve your quality of life overall, so everyone should do what they can to keep in shape. If you are having difficulty sleeping, though, keeping the extra weight off can be a lot harder.
Insufficient sleep will effect numerous hormones which can stimulate the appetite and slow metabolism. Eating more means more calories and these are converted into fat which can cause us to become obese. It will also become especially difficult to exercise if you are feeling too tired to do so.
Symptom #8: Aging Appearance
‘Beauty sleep’ is a common term that implies that sleep helps us to look better. For the most part, it is quite accurate as lack of sleep can have quite an effect on a person’s appearance. However, after they get a good night’s sleep again they will wake looking healthy and well.
Sleeping can also have an effect on your appearance in the long term. When we are sleeping, our bodies release hormones that help to keep our muscles, bones and skin healthy. A lack of sleep can affect the health of those systems. In addition, insufficient sleep causes our bodies to release a hormone known as cortisol, which breaks down skin collagen.
Symptom #9: High Blood Pressure
The constant flow of blood around our bodies is essential to us. Without it, our bodies would be starved of the nutrients that are carried in the bloodstream and we would simply die. In order to achieve a constant flow, the blood needs to be pumped at a certain pressure to ensure it circulates throughout the entire body.
Despite the need for a certain blood pressure, though, things can get dangerous if your blood pressure becomes too high. A lack of sleep can lead to a high blood pressure and this could cause some potentially serious complications, like a stroke. If you do have high blood pressure you should arrange to speak with a doctor as soon as possible.
Symptom #10: Increased Illnesses
With our immune systems hard at work defending our bodies all the time, most of us will not fall ill often. Even when we do fall ill, it is rarely something serious and we will be back to full strength within a few days or so. For people that suffer from sleeplessness, though, falling ill will become a more regular occurrence.
A lack of sleep directly affects the immune system. This means that we are more likely to fall ill to common illnesses such as the cold and flu more often. It also increases our chances of contracting more serious illnesses and reduces our ability to fight illnesses once we have caught them.
