Have you ever felt like you were so tired that your body was dragging? This can happen to anyone at one time or another, but there are some people who have jobs and lifestyles that make it more likely they’ll be Sleep deprived. If you don’t get enough sleep every night, it could impact your work performance and your mental health, not to mention putting you at risk for serious health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Find out how lack of sleep affects the body and mind here.

Introduction

Sleep Deprivation is something that a lot of us have experienced at one point or another, but it can be hard to understand just what it does to your body and your mind. According to WebMD, Sleep Deprivation increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In addition, lack of sleep can cause you to crave high-carbohydrate foods. It also affects your mood — in some people, sleep deprivation has been linked with depression. Furthermore, according to Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine, lack of sleep can affect memory and reaction time. And finally, a study from the Department for Clinical Neuroscience at Uppsala University in Sweden found that even moderate sleep deprivation can lead to death.

The Physical Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Lack of sleep has been shown to increase the risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and other brain-related conditions. It can also lead to emotional problems like anxiety, depression and mood disorders. Lack of sleep can even cause physical pain: studies have found that people who get less than six hours a night are more likely to have headaches, stiff necks or backaches.

The Mental Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Studies show that sleep deprivation can lead to poor decision-making, difficulty concentrating, and a lack of motivation. And while these mental effects might be temporary, they can become more serious over time. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reports that the average person needs seven to nine hours of sleep each night for quality rest; anything less than six hours is considered sleep deprived. To keep your brain running at full capacity, it’s important to get enough zzz’s.
Sleep deprivation affects both children and adults alike. In fact, 40% of American adults are getting fewer than seven hours per night on workdays according to NSF research from 2010.

Conclusion

We all know that we need sleep to function at our best. But how do you know if you are getting enough? And what can you do to improve the quality of your sleep? Below are a few ways in which inadequate sleep can affect your health:

• Lack of adequate restorative sleep leads to fatigue, daytime sleepiness, impaired attention, and short-term memory.
• Insufficient restful slumber results in weight gain, lowered libido and sexual interest, slowed immune system response, higher blood pressure levels, increased risk for heart disease and stroke.
• Poor quality sleep increases the risk for diabetes by disrupting the body’s use of insulin. It also triggers hormone changes that produce high levels of cortisol.

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