The 13 Worst Effects of Sleep Deprivation to your Body
January 22, 2015
You should know by now how important getting enough sleep is. So you better allot some time every night lying on that cozy and comfy Senso Memory mattress of yours, you hear? Otherwise, be prepared for the consequences lack of sleep can cause your well-being! What, you think we’re kidding? Well we hate to break it to you, buck-o, but here are some of the negative (if not downright devastating) effects of sleep.
Impaired Brain Activity
Sleep is necessary for you to enjoy a fully functional brain and nervous system, which is your body’s information highway. Lack of sleep leaves it too exhausted to perform to its full potential the next day. Make a habit of it and you’ll spend the rest of your life looking and feeling sluggish.
Cognitive Dysfunction
Your overall cognitive function is affected when you constantly miss your time snoozing. This means you’ll start finding it hard to make decisions, comprehend new ideas, and pay attention.
Memory Problems
Sleep deprivation negatively impacts your memory, short term and long term alike. It will cause you to be ridiculously forgetful, affecting your ability to learn new stuff or absorb what you’ve just listened or read.
Hallucinations
Over time, you’ll start seeing things—literally! And if you’re already suffering from narcolepsy or systemic lupus erythematosis, then your chances of having hallucinations will increase!
Moodiness
Sleep deprivation can also have a bad effect on your overall emotional life. You can always tell the people who didn’t get enough Zzz’s from those who did by their shorter tempers and nasty mood swings.
Depression
Not getting enough Zzz’s will also increase your risk to suffer from manic depression. This means you’ll experience feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, emptiness, helplessness, guilt, worthlessness, restlessness, and irritability more often and, in certain days, all in one go.
Weight Gain
When you’re depressed and sluggish due to lack of sleep, you tend to eat everything in your path! Though it would energize you to some extent, it would also leave you heavier than before.
Weak Immune Response
Believe it or not, your sleeping habits and your body’s immunity system is connected. It’s during your time out cold on your bed that your immunity produces antibodies and cells that will protect your body from sickness. Don’t get enough shuteye and your body will produce less of these protective hormones, leaving your body defenseless.
Cold and Flu
When your immunity system is compromised, your other systems will be too, starting with your respiratory! People who lack sleep tend to suffer from colds and influenza more often, and those who have chronic lung diseases will only worsen their condition.
Type 2 Diabetes
Oh, we almost forgot! Weight gain isn’t the only consequences you can have due to overeating and lack of sleep. You’ll also be more prone to diabetes due to all those sugar you take on just to stay up during the day.
High Blood Pressure
Being overweight alongside sleep deprivation will also have an effect on your cardiovascular health—not in a good way, mind you! Your blood vessels would be more prone to those clogging incidents, increasing blood flow pressure in the process.
Heart Disease
And when your blood flow gets into a heavy traffic situation due to blocked arteries and veins, your heart will also start to suffer, making blood and oxygen circulation harder in body. This increases your chances of having chronic cardiovascular illnesses like heart attack and stroke.
Increased Risk of Accidents
As mentioned earlier, sleep deprivation negatively affects your cognitive abilities. This not only hinders your ability to learn, but also your ability to maintain your presence of mind while outdoors, making you more prone to accidents and mishaps.
Someone once said, “You only get one shot in life. Why waste it on sleep?” We say because it’s the right and healthy thing to do! Besides, you can’t enjoy life if you fell sluggish all the time.
