Where did you get the energy to wake up every day from your bed and hit the office desk with a heroic thud? You are packed with fuel, but what helps ignite that fuel for the next day. It’s the sleep, of course! No doubt, sleep is as essential as breathing and eating. Humans are no robots but not less than intelligent robots too. If you have an electronic gadget, no matter what the brand is, it still needs to be charged. The device will keep on running through the charge energy until it reaches its limit and shuts. Your sleep is no less than a charging point for you.
Possible Reasons For Sleep Deprivation
You don’t need to be getting sleep-deprived by yourself, it can be due to other issues as well. Let’s get to know the possible reasons that can make you sleep-deprived.
Some of the common sleep disorders ruining your sleep health are:
- Obstructive sleep apnea.
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
- Restless leg syndrome.
What Happens When You Don’t Sleep Enough?
Sleep is fuel in any case. If it’s a good night’s sleep, it will fuel you with energy for the next day, and if it isn’t then it will fuel various diseases trying to carve their way into your body.
Here is what happens when you don’t get enough sleep.
Impaired Memory
The brain is capable of performing many conscious and unconscious functions. All the human activities happening around are due to the brain. From memory, alertness, reasoning, reflex, to decision making, it controls all of them. One night of disruptive sleep can make you less focused with low energy and impaired thinking. Good sleep helps your brain process information and create a memory backup and store it. One explanation for impaired memory is sleep deprivation, so for better mental health, you need to have a good night sleep.
Weak Immune System
In this era of development, we are exposed to several diseases. Your immune system needs to be stronger, to fight off these problems. When you don’t get enough sleep, your immunity loses strength every day. During your sleep hours, your body speeds up the process of building up the immune system, building antibodies and cytokines. When you are suffering from ailments, sleep and rest help you recover from that ailment.
Respiratory Problems
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that happens due to obstruction in the air passage. This leads to disruptive sleep patterns, reducing the quality of sleep. The disorder can be damaging to the brain as well, due to reduced oxygen supply. This can hinder your productivity for the day, decreasing your efficiency. So respiratory problems can also be another cause of bad sleep which can invite other diseases as well.
Cardiovascular Health
Sleep moderation is also a necessity for healthy living. Your heart health is negatively affected when you are sleep-deprived. Sleeping less than 5 hours or more than 9 hours can give your heart a serious threat. As HealthCanal’s reference, most adults need ideally 8 hours of sleep per 24-hour period to function optimally.
Weight Gain
Sleep impacts hormone levels in the body and leads to hormonal imbalance. It is obvious when you stay up late at night, your steps are bound to head towards the kitchen. Sleep deprivation causes decreased levels of leptin. Lack of sleep can also reduce your body’s glucose tolerance, making you vulnerable to diseases. The imbalance of hormones is strongly linked with weight gain, so your sleep can cause obesity.
Decreased Sex Drive
Your sleep can impact your sex drive. According to research, it was reported that sleep deprivation can lower the production of sex hormones both in males and females. Whereas people who got a good amount of sleep were more sexually active.
Tips To Fix Your Sleep Issues
Here are some tips to fix your sleep and get some rest to recharge yourself back with energy.
- Make a bed schedule to go to bed on time at night and wake up in the morning at the same time.
- Don’t go for midday naps because it makes you less sleepy at night.
- Exercise daily to increase the blood flow to the brain.
- Limit caffeine intake.
- Keep your electronic gadgets away from your bed.
- Avoid having midnight snacks.
- Develop good sleep hygiene.
- Meditate, read, or exercise if you find trouble sleeping.
The Bottom Line
Sleep is a recharging procedure for your body. It affects everything from your productivity, thinking ability to physical health. Your sleep is your way for your body to recuperate and decrease the risk of diseases. Sleep of 7-8 hours is recommended for adults, while a resting period lower than this can affect your mental and physical health.
