Between work, family and personal obligations, getting a full 40 winks can sometimes be difficult. But staying awake too late can come with some pretty nasty consequences. Luckily, our bodies have some peculiar ways of telling us it’s time to hit the hay.
Sleep deprivation is nothing to sneeze at. Going without an adequate amount of sleep, due to sleep deprivation or other untreated sleep disorders, can lead to serious complications in both the short and long term. Missing as little as one-and-a-half hours of sleep can reduce one’s sense of alertness by nearly one third the normal level, according to Dr. Michael J. Breus, a clinical psychologist and a diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicine.
So if you find yourself noticing some of these signs of sleep deprivation the next time the rooster crows, consider making some changes to your schedule or contacting your physician for some help getting a good night’s rest.
You’re Becoming More Impulsive
While going through a morning under the effects of sleep deprivation, it’s not uncommon to be a little testy, or perhaps adding a bit more cream cheese on your morning bagel. This impulsive behavior doesn’t come from anger or hunger. It’s a clear sign from the brain to hit snooze and call into work. “The prefrontal cortex is greatly affected by sleep deprivation,” Dr. Shelby Harris, a clinical psychiatrist who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine, says.“This area is associated with judgment, impulse control, visual association and attention.” Simply put, a lack of sleep, means a lack of impulse control.
Weight Gain
It should come as no surprise that the lack of impulse control caused by sleep deprivation would have some other effects on one’s overall health. But there’s more to it than eager morning snacking. Not getting enough sleep can decrease the amount of the hormone leptin in the body while increasing the production of ghrelin. Both hormones are related to the regulation of appetite and metabolism, but too much ghrelin (also known as the “Hunger Hormone”) can increase cravings for fatty or sugary foods.
Loss of Short Term Memory
For anyone who’s forgotten a set of keys or a wallet on the way out the door, this sign should be familiar. This short term memory loss is luckily only due to being tired and not any permanent damage. Memories and emotions are consolidated during sleep. Not getting enough sleep makes it more difficult to form memories, and research from the National Institutes of Health has shown a connection between sleep and the brain’s ability to flush toxins from itself.
Weakened Immune System
Though some may snore when they sleep, those who skip the sheets may end up with the sniffles. In a study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2009, researchers found that those who got less than seven hours of sleep a night were almost three times as likely to get a cold. “During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep,” Dr. Eric Olsen, a sleep medicine specialist with the Mayo Clinic, says. “Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you’re under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease production of these protective cytokines.”
Falling Asleep During the Day/Feeling Energized at Night
One of the most common signs of sleep deprivation is increased fatigue when going from the bright sunny day outside to the dark and cool interior of a movie theater or classroom. Oddly enough not being in a regular sleep routine can also end up giving your body a surge of energy once evening comes around.
Breakouts and Blemishes
Much like memory consolidation, sleep is when our skin repairs and replenishes itself. In 2013, a clinical trial at University Hospitals Case Medical Center discovered that skin recovery increases 30% when one gets a proper amount of sleep, normally around eight hours for adults. Over long periods of sleep deprivation more serious damage can occur as the skin’s collagen begins to break down, which means more wrinkles down the line.
Impaired motor skills
After only one night without sleep, a person’s hand-eye coordination is the same as someone with a .10 blood alcohol level, according to a 1997 study. This can obviously be very bad when driving a car or even walking down the street. A decrease in reaction time as well as an inability to concentrate are other side effects of sleep deprivation, which greatly add to danger involved when driving without adequate sleep.
While staying out late, whether for work or play, may be an unavoidable necessity, it is important to recognize how profoundly sleep deprivation can affect the body. The long-term effects of forgoing slumber can be even more troubling. Those who don’t get enough shut-eye increase their risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and can even suffer from hallucinations in some cases. And while caffeinated drinks may seem like an easy fix to some of the issues caused by a lack of sleep, nothing beats a nice warm blanket and a fluffy pillow at refreshing and re-energizing the body.
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Sources: [Bustle, DrShelbyHarris, Health, HuffingtonPost, JamaNetwork, MayoClinic, Ncbi, Nih , Oprah , WebMD1, WebMD2]
