Health

Sleep 101: The Ultimate Signs of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body

Sleep is one of the ultimate activities that the body needs. When you are sleep deprived, your body will send signals before the condition has an impact on body health. Thus, you should pay attention to your body’s signs of sleep deprivation.

Why Is Sleep Important?

Sleep is very important to maintain body condition. After a good night’s sleep, your body will be recharged – thus every organ can work optimally afterward. The cortex, the part of the brain that plays a role in storing memories, thoughts, and language, will also improve – thus why it is important to maintain a good quality of sleep if you want to be more productive in your work or school. Adequate sleep can repair the body and mind so that everything can perform at its best.

The average person needs at the very least 7 to 8 hours of sleep everyday day. However, many people still sacrifice their sleep time just to complete work and assignments, or just mindlessly play with their smartphones. This is very dangerous, because according to a study – sleep deprivation can be related to the occurrence of psychological stress and a greater risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

But unfortunately, many people don’t realize that they are lacking sleep. This makes it harder for them to improve their condition and sleep pattern. Thus to prevent sleep deprivation, you should be aware of all the signs. Keep on reading to know each of the signs that may be present when you are sleep deprived. 

1. Easily forgetting things

As mentioned above, sleep will not only restore your energy –  but also play a role in improving your cognitive and learning capabilities. If you are lacking in sleep, it makes it difficult for you to work or study effectively. In addition, lack of sleep can also make it difficult for you to remember things.

2. Weight gain

If you are sleep deprived, your body will tend to produce more of the hormone ghrelin – which plays a role in causing hunger. On top of that, sleep deprivation will also keep you feeling tired. When you’re tired, you don’t pay attention to what you eat or the amount of food you eat.  This can be the ultimate reason why you gain weight.

A study also shows that someone who sleeps less than 6 hours per day is more at risk for obesity compared to those who sleep more than 6 hours. Thus, if you notice that you have an increase in weight gain – it is probably because you are sleep deprived.

3. Easier to get sick

When you get enough sleep, your immune system produces cytokines – proteins that help protect the body from infection. Lack of sleep can exacerbate the immune system which affects the production of these cytokine hormones. If this happens, the result will be you are more prone to getting sick. A study found that people who slept less than 7 hours per day were three times more likely to have a cold or flu than those who slept more than 8 hours everyday.

4. Stress, emotions, and depression

Lack of sleep will make it easier for you to experience stress and for your emotions to get out of control. These uncontrolled emotions will often make people act without thinking further or do something bad without meaning to do it. Some people can even get depressed due to lack of sleep.

5. Skin looks dull and have lots of acne

Enough sleep can help the regeneration process in your skin. But if you are lacking of it, it will have a very negative impact on your skin health, by:

  • Increase production of the hormone cortisol which can break down collagen, a protein that plays a role in keeping your skin soft and elastic. As a result, your skin will wrinkle easily and make you look older.
  • Reducing the production of growth hormone which plays a role in the growth process and increases muscle mass, and skin thickness, and strengthens bones.
  • Disrupt the balance of hormones and increase estrogen levels in the body. This can trigger the growth of acne on the skin.
  • Makes your eyes look tired and increases the risk of developing fine lines on the skin, you will also have unappealing dark circles under your eyes.

    5. Eye disorder

Another sign of sleep deprivation is a disturbance in your vision. Your eyes will tend to look red and tired. It also becomes more difficult for the eyes to focus, you may potentially experience double vision if you are sleep deprived.

How To Improve Your Sleep Quality?

  • Create a sleep schedule, because if you have a consistent sleep schedule – you will be able to sleep far more easily. Your body’s circadian rhythm will be trained to maintain a regular sleep schedule, thus you will wake up and feel sleepy at the same time everyday.
  • Have a good working aircon in your room, especially if you are living in a tropical country. Make sure to also regularly clean and maintain your aircon, click here to contact a professional aircon technician.
  • Meditation and yoga can calm the mind and relax the body. They are also proven to be able to increase your sleep quality. While you are doing yoga, your body will be released of stress and less. While at the same time, your melatonin level will increase.
  • Listen to instrumental music to overcome chronic sleep disorders such as insomnia. Listening to music is also effective to improve your sleep quality.

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