Sleep deprivation: Causes, symptoms and effects on health

May 27,2022: (Anuradha Kapoor)

According to health experts, pathways establish between nerve cells (neurons) in your brain during sleep that help you recall new information. Sleep deprivation exhausts your brain, causing it to forget what you’ve learned and to be unable to perform its functions efficiently.

Sleep deprivation strengthens the immune system’s defenses. If a person does not get enough sleep, he or she will be unable to fight off illness. Furthermore, their immune system becomes weaker, making it more difficult for them to fight and recover from disease.

The following are common reasons of sleep deprivation:

· Stress- Taking too much stress, whether from personal or professional issues, or both, raises your anxiety level, which is unfortunately harmful.

· Poor sleeping habits – Staying up late to watch a movie or talk on the phone, then waking up late the next morning, contributes to sleep deprivation.

· Professional workload – If you have a lot of work on your plate or a deadline approaching, your mind will be thinking about it all day.

 

Signs that you’re suffering from sleep deprivation include:

· Lack of energy – Your body lacks the necessary energy to carry out daily tasks.

· Mood swings – Your mood swings are frequent, and they are interfering with your regular routine and lifestyle.

· Unable to concentrate- You are physically present but mentally absent, unable to focus on what is going on around you and having no recollection of what you have heard or learned.

· Anxiety – Anxiety develops as a result of stress or overthinking.

· Feeling tired in the middle of the day – You didn’t get enough sleep the night before, so you’re tired in the middle of the day, yawning frequently, and needing a brief nap. You may not notice when a person closes their eyes and naps for 5 minutes in the middle of the day.

According to medical authorities, sleep deprivation can cause serious health concerns such as:

· Blood Pressure – When our anxiety and stress levels rise, our blood pressure rises as well.

· Diabetes – The same is true for blood sugar levels; when your body demands more insulin to function and your body’s ability to make it is low, sugar levels rise, leading to diabetes.

· Lower intimacy- Your energy levels have decreased, making you feel low or uninterested in sexual exposure, which may irritate your partner.

· Heart attack- The final but most serious consequence of sleep deprivation is the possibility of heart failure or heart stroke.

· As a result, sleep deprivation must be treated as soon as possible, either through closed ones or by consulting a qualified doctor.