Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Introduction
A phenomenon known as Karoshi is a frequent term used in Japanese work culture. Karoshi means ‘death from overwork’. In this appalling practice, people would work long shifts, for over 70 hours a week, sometimes double the time. It caused sleep deprivation and resulted in hypertension and cardiac arrest. It is one of the drastic effects of sleep deprivation.
The mystery of sleep is unraveling gradually. Researchers, too, are unsure about the need for sleep. However, its scarceness does leave you cranky, grouchy, and grumpy. Insufficient sleep for a long duration can have detrimental effects on your physical and mental well-being. It also triggers the initiation of diseases like diabetes, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and high blood pressure. Sleep quality and duration don’t have set standards. But, this passive-yet-an-active process impacts the quality of our lives dramatically.
What is Sleep?
Sleep is the body’s response to the biological rhythm. It is vital in the life processes of resting, recovering, and relaxing your body. It preserves the robustness of the brain and body and helps to attain body-mind balance in the long term. Your body may lie dormant during sleep, but the brain keeps working consistently and harmoniously. A night of inadequate sleep may result in the depreciation of basic bodily processes and deterioration of overall health.
Along with the duration, the quality is also essential for a night of healthy sleep. Generally, a sleep duration of 7 to 9 hours is recommended. Sleep rotates in 4 stages — 3 NREM (Non-Random Eye Movement) and 1 REM (Random Eye Movement) stage. Each of these stages lasts for a certain period and is crucial in determining the quality of your sleep. The need for sleep alters with age. As you age, the duration of sleep usually tends to reduce. An infant may require a sleep of 12–15 hours while an adult can make it work with a sleep of 7–9 hours.
What is sleep deprivation?
Average duration of fewer than 6 hours can cause sleep deprivation. A night of good sleep depends on, both, the quality and duration of sleep. An individual who is getting less than the optimum amount of sleep tends to be sleep deprived. The duration of sleep, however, may or may not correspond to the quality of sleep. The quality of sleep determines how well-rested you are.
Sleep deprivation can lead to various health issues that may affect for short or long term. Being well-rested is about the symbiotic relationship between the quality and quantity of sleep. As long as you wake up feeling rejuvenated and refreshed you might have just cracked the code for a good sleep.
What causes sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation is mostly the outcome of inconsistent routine and compromised lifestyle. It may also be caused due to certain medical conditions, like sleep apnea and medication for diseases like epilepsy, that interrupt the process of sleep. Sleep deprivation due to personal routine can be changed with careful amendments to the lifestyle.
Some of the causes of sleep deprivation can be:
Skimpy sleep schedule
Poor lifestyle choices
Improper work timings
Increased screen time
Interruptive sleep environment
Overthinking
Some medical conditions that may interrupt the sleep are:
Heartburn
Arthritis
Hyperthyroidism
Respiratory conditions
Neurological disorders
Cough and cold
What are the visible symptoms of Sleep Deprivation?
A sparse sleep interrupts physiological processes in the body. It results in conditions such as fluctuations in mood, tiredness, poor concentration, brain fog, lowered libido, and impoverished memory. The symptoms of sleep deprivation may also include, but are not limited to, anxiety, fixation on a thought, confusion, and sleepiness during the day. It also impacts the decision-making process.
What are the effects of Sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation can have short or long-term effects on your body. The short-term effects may include lowered energy, fatigue, and mood changes. The long-term effects of Sleep Deprivation can reduce the quality of life and can be fatal if not paid attention to.
The long-term effects of sleep deprivation are:
Hypertension- A disrupted sleep can give rise to high blood pressure. The average sleep of fewer than 5 hours is related to weight gain, which furthers to high blood pressure. Sleep also regulates the hormonal balance in the body. Any change in the duration and quality of sleep fractures the harmony of hormones and may lead to hypertension.
Memory Loss- Sleep deprivation jolts long-term memory. It affects the intricate link between sleep and memory which, otherwise, allows for healthy memory retention. A well-rested mind and body make room for processing fresh experiences and information.
Weight Gain & Obesity- People on the journey of weight loss are suggested to take proper sleep. Sleep regulates the hormones that control appetite. Loss of sleep triggers the hormone that stimulates hunger resulting in untimely food cravings. It leads to weight gain, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.
Diabetes- Your body processes glucose with the help of insulin hormone. Insulin transports sugar from the blood to the body cells. Insufficient sleep interrupts this process which increases the risk of type2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular disease- Poor sleep puts your heart at risk. During sleep, the body indulges in the process of healing. The physiological process of maintaining blood glucose levels, finding hormonal balance, and regulating blood pressure help to preserve a healthy heart.
Anxiety and Depression- Anxiety, and depression thrive during disrupted sleep. A good night’s sleep can help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Loss of Brain Function — Sleep deprivation affects the learning process by disrupting the function of the prefrontal cortex. It also affects the processing of emotions in the brain.
Immune System Dysfunction- Your immune system can respond to lack of sleep by causing inflammation, fever, and a disproportionate response to allergens in the body.
Skin Ageing- When you are sleep-deprived you wake up with a puffy eye and a swollen face. The release of growth hormone occurs during the third and fourth stages of the sleep cycle. As your sleep is interrupted, the release of growth hormone is decreased. On the contrary, a hormone called cortisol is released. Cortisol breaks down the collagen that maintains the elasticity of the skin. Your skin begins to bear its visible effects. Long-term sleep deprivation can incite early skin aging by causing wrinkles and dark circles around the eyes.
Hormone Fluctuation- An inadequate sleep causes fluctuation in hormone production and regulation. It can either produce insufficient growth hormone or excess stress hormones or cortisol.
How to avoid sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation due to voluntary and adaptable habits can be reversed by creating and following a sleep schedule. Additionally, making a sleep-friendly environment while going to bed also goes a long way in ensuring a night of quality sleep. Many people have a habit of working out before sleeping. It is suggested that instead of a vigorous workout you should opt for stretches and moderate exercises before sleeping. Other habits to adapt for sound sleep are -
having dinner 2 hours before sleep
reducing caffeine intake after 4 pm
reducing screen time before going to bed
Besides, scheduling a bedtime routine helps to resume the biological rhythm of the body and improves the quality of sleep.
