Are you going to bed early but still wake up feeling groggy or unrested? Chances are you might be sleep deprived. A few hours of sleep-loss each night can affect every aspect of your daily life beyond daytime drowsiness. It can be far more severe than you thought! Several studies have shown that ongoing insufficient sleep may result in a host of health conditions, which may shorten your life expectancy!
Effects of sleep deprivation
Cardiovascular diseases
Growing evidence suggests that insufficient sleep has been linked to an increased risk for high blood pressure and heart attacks. In the 1980s, many Japanese workers died from “karoshi” which translates to “death from overwork”, mainly from a heart attack and stroke due to stress and sleep deprivation.
Obesity
When you fail to get adequate sleep, your body produces less leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite, and more ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. This will eventually prompt you to crave for food. Furthermore, it may leave you too exhausted to burn off the extra calories that you take in. As a result, you tend to gain weight and are prone to obesity.
Diabetes
Ongoing sleep scarcity also increases the risk of developing diabetes, particularly if you are obese and have a family history of the disease. When you are sleep-deprived, your body produces more stress hormone – cortisol which in turn promotes insulin resistance, leaving you more susceptible to diabetes.
Accidents and injuries
Lack of sleep can interfere with your cognitive abilities and eventually cause reduced concentration, impaired judgement, decreased creativity and increase the likelihood of making mistakes. It is not only harmful to the individual but can also adversely affect the safety of others! Being sleep deprived will put you at an increased risk of accidents, injuries or death on the road, at work and even at home.
