Causes of lack of sleep
Lack of sleep is due to the continued lack of deep sleep or sleep quality due to reduced 's . The consequences of regular sleep for less than 7 hours may affect the health of the whole body . This condition may be caused by an underlying sleep disorder.
Your body needs sleep, just as your body needs air and food to perform its best function. During sleep, your body will repair itself and restore its chemical balance. Your brain will establish new thought connections and help memory retention. Without enough sleep, your brain and body systems will not function properly. It can also greatly reduce your quality of life. A 2010 study found that too little sleep at night increases the risk of premature death.
The obvious signs of lack of sleep include
- Excessive sleepiness
- Yawn often
- irritability
- Daytime fatigue
Use stimulants to combat lack of sleep
Stimulants, such as caffeine, are not enough to overcome the body’s basic need for sleep. In fact, these can make it harder to fall asleep at night, making sleep deprivation worse. In turn, this may lead to a cycle of insomnia at night, and then ingest caffeine during the day to combat fatigue caused by reduced sleep time.
Long-term lack of sleep can interfere with your body's internal systems, causing more than just the first signs and symptoms listed above.
Lack of sleep affects the central nervous system
Your central nervous system is the main information highway of your body. Sleep is necessary to keep it functioning properly, but chronic insomnia can disrupt the way your body normally sends and processes information.
During sleep, nerve cells (neurons) in the brain form pathways to help you remember new information you have learned. Insufficient sleep can exhaust your brain and therefore cannot perform its duties.
You may also find it more difficult to concentrate or learn new things. Signals from your body may also be delayed, reducing your coordination and increasing your risk of accidents.
Lack of sleep can also negatively affect your mental abilities and emotional state. You may feel more impatient or prone to mood swings. It can also damage the decision-making process and creativity.
If sleep deprivation lasts long enough, you may begin to have hallucinations—seeing or hearing things that don’t actually exist. Lack of sleep can also trigger mania in people who also have bipolar disorder. Other psychological risks include:
- Impulsive behavior
- anxiety
- Frustrated
- Paranoid
- Suicidal thoughts
You may also experience micro sleep during the day. In these episodes, you will fall asleep for a few to a few seconds without knowing it.
Microsleep is beyond your control. If you are driving, it can be very dangerous. If you operate heavy machinery at work and have micro-sleep episodes, it will also make you more susceptible to injury.
Lack of sleep affects the immune system
When you sleep, your immune system produces protective anti-infective substances such as antibodies and cytokines. It uses these substances to fight foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. Certain cytokines can also help you fall asleep, allowing your immune system to more effectively protect your body from diseases.
Lack of sleep prevents your immune system from increasing its strength. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body may not be able to resist invaders, and it may take longer to recover from the disease. Long-term lack of sleep can also increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Lack of sleep affects the respiratory system
The relationship between sleep and the respiratory system is two-way. Obstructive sleep apnea (sleep apnea) can interfere with your sleep and reduce the quality of sleep. Most cases can be cured by using a sleep ventilator .
When you wake up all night, this can lead to lack of sleep and make you more susceptible to respiratory infections, such as the common cold and flu. Lack of sleep can also worsen existing respiratory diseases, such as chronic lung disease.
Lack of sleep affects the digestive system
In addition to eating too much and not exercising, lack of sleep is another risk factor for overweight and obesity. Sleep affects the levels of the two hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control hunger and satiety.
Leptin tells your brain that you are full. If you don't have enough sleep, your brain reduces leptin and raises ghrelin, which is to stimulate appetite. The flow of these hormones can explain snacking at night or why someone might overeat later in the evening.
Lack of sleep can also make you feel too tired to exercise. Over time, reducing physical activity will make you gain weight because you are not burning enough calories or increasing muscle mass.
Lack of sleep can also cause your body to release less insulin after eating. Insulin helps lower blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Lack of sleep can also reduce the body's tolerance to glucose and is related to insulin resistance. These disturbances can lead to diabetes and obesity.
Lack of sleep affects the cardiovascular system
Sleep affects the process of keeping the heart and blood vessels healthy, including processes that affect blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation levels. It also plays a vital role in your body's ability to heal and repair blood vessels and heart.
People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease. An analysis linked insomnia to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Lack of sleep affects the endocrine system
The production of hormones depends on your sleep. In order to produce testosterone, you need at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep, which is about the time of your first REM deep sleep. Frequent waking up all night may affect hormone production.
This interruption can also affect the production of growth hormone, especially in children and adolescents. In addition to other growth functions, these hormones also help the body build muscle mass and repair cells and tissues.
The pituitary gland releases growth hormone throughout the day, but adequate sleep and exercise also help the release of this hormone.
Treatment of insufficient sleep
The most basic form of sleep deprivation treatment is getting enough sleep, usually 7 to 9 hours a night.
This is usually easier said than done, especially if you have been deprived of valuable sleep time for weeks or more. After this, you may need the help of a doctor or sleep specialist who can diagnose and treat possible sleep disorders if needed.
Sleep disorders may make it difficult to get quality sleep at night. They may also increase the risk of the aforementioned effects of sleep deprivation on the body.
Here are some of the most common types of sleep disorders:
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Narcolepsy
- Restless legs syndrome
- Insomnia
- Circadian rhythm disorder
To diagnose these conditions, your doctor may request a sleep study. This is traditionally done in formal sleep centers, but now you can also choose to measure your sleep quality at home.
If you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, you may be given medication or equipment to keep the airway open at night (in the case of obstructive sleep apnea) to help fight the disease so you can get better on a regular basis Sleep basics.
Prevent lack of sleep
The best way to prevent lack of sleep is to make sure you get enough sleep. Follow the recommended guidelines for your age group, which is 7 to 9 hours for most adults 18 to 64 years old.
Other ways to improve sleep quality include:
- Limit daytime naps (or avoid them altogether)
- Do not drink caffeine after noon or at least a few hours before bedtime
- Maintain a sleep cycle , go to bed at the same time every night , and wake up at the same time every morning
- Stick to your bedtime on weekends and holidays
- Spend an hour before going to bed doing relaxing activities such as reading, meditation or bathing
- Avoid heavy meals within a few hours before bed
- Avoid using electronic devices before going to bed
- Exercise regularly, but don’t exercise at night close to bedtime
- Reduce alcohol intake
- Listen to relaxing music to help sleep
- Sleep with earplugs barrier compartment noise sound , sleeping goggles barrier compartment lighting
If you still have sleep problems at night and are struggling with daytime fatigue, please consult your doctor. They can test for underlying health conditions that may hinder your sleep , such as sleep apnea testing .
