Monday, November 18, 2013

Effects of Lack of Sleep



Lack of sleep can make you more than just grumpy. Here are some serious effects that sleeping less than 7 to 8 hours a day can have on you.
Sleep Deprivation Can Cause:
- Accidents: Sleepiness and drowsiness can slow reaction time as much as driving drunk. Studies show that sleep loss and poor-quality sleep also lead to accidents and injuries on the job.
-Difficulties in Learning and Memory: Lack of sleep hurts thinking and learning processes. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in “consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day.
-Serious Health Problems: Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:
                                 Heart disease
                                 Heart attack                           
                                 High blood pressure
                                 Stroke
                                 Diabetes
-Decreased Sex Drive: Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame.
- Depression: Over time, lack of sleep and sleep disorders can contribute to the symptoms of depression. The most common sleep disorder, insomnia, has the strongest link to depression. Insomnia and depression feed on each other. On the positive side, treating sleep problems can help depression and its symptoms, and vice versa.
- Aging of Tissues: Chronic sleep loss can lead to fine lines and dark circles under the eyes. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol which can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic. Sleep loss also causes the body to release too little human growth hormone. When we’re young, human growth hormone promotes growth. As we age, it plays a role in tissue repair.
- Weight Gain: Lack of sleep increases hunger and appetite. It stimulates cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods, leading to obesity. Sleep stimulates peptides that regulate and suppresses appetite.

 

1 comment:

  1. maggie.danhakl@healthline.comOctober 30, 2014 at 4:11 AM

    Hi Pierre,

    I hope all is well with you. Healthline just published an infographic detailing the effects of sleep deprivation on the body. This is an interactive chart allowing the reader to pick the side effect they want to learn more about.

    You can see the overview of the report here: http://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body

    Our users have found our guide very useful and I thought it would be a great resource for your page: http://2020dentistry.blogspot.com/2013/11/effects-of-lack-of-sleep.html

    I would appreciate it if you could review our request and consider adding this visual representation of sleep deprivation to your site or sharing it on your social media feeds.

    Please let me know if you have any questions.

    All the best,
    Maggie Danhakl • Assistant Marketing Manager

    Healthline • The Power of Intelligent Health
    660 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
    www.healthline.com | @Healthline | @HealthlineCorp

    About Us: corp.healthline.com

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