Is it possible to get enough sleep without knowing this? - you ask. However, most signs of sleep deprivation are much more subtle than falling face down on a plate at lunch. In addition, if you have made a habit of saving money on sleep, you may not even remember what it is like to really get enough sleep, really be aware of everything that is happening around, work and live with maximum energy and dedication.
You are likely to be sleep deprived if ...
- You always need an alarm to wake up on time.
- You constantly rearrange your alarm clock in the morning.
- It is difficult for you to get out of bed in the morning.
- Feel sluggish in the afternoon.
- Get sleepy at formal meetings, lectures, or warm rooms.
- You usually feel sleepy after eating a heavy meal or when driving.
- You need to sleep during the day in order to "live" normally until the evening.
- Fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening.
- Sleep very long on weekends.
- Fall asleep within five minutes when you go to bed.
While it may seem like a lack of sleep is not a big deal, it has a wide range of negative consequences that go far beyond normal daytime sleepiness.
Effects of insufficient sleep and chronic sleep deprivation
- Fatigue, lethargy and lack of motivation.
- Capriciousness and irritability.
- Decreased creativity and problem-solving skills.
- Inability to deal with stress.
- Decreased immunity, frequent colds and infections.
- Concentration and memory problems.
- Weight gain.
- Impaired motor skills and increased risk of accidents.
- Difficulty making decisions.
- Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.
According to the US National Institutes of Health, the average adult now sleeps less than 7 hours a night. In today's dynamic society, 6 or 7 hours of sleep can seem like a normal order of things, or even a luxury. In fact, this is a direct road to chronic sleep deprivation.
Although sleep requirements differ slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night for their bodies to function really well. Children and adolescents need even more. And while our need for sleep decreases with age, older adults still need at least 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep. Since older people often have trouble sleeping at night, naps can help them fill this gap.
Sleep demand and peak performance
There is a big difference between the amount of sleep at which you can work without yawning and the amount at which your body can function optimally. Just because you can work on 7 hours of sleep doesn't mean you won't feel much better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed. If you get enough sleep, you will feel yourself more energetic and concentrated throughout the day, from the moment you wake up until late at night. You will also do that very work faster and better, due to the higher speed of consideration and better concentration.
Or maybe you got lucky?
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have found that some people have a gene that allows them to live perfectly, spending only 6 hours of sleep at night. But such a gene is very rare - less than 3% of the population. For the other 97% of us, six hours is too little.
In a fleeting lifestyle, sleep is a luxury. Indeed, with its help, it becomes possible to replenish the supply of lost energy after exhausting everyday life. But the opposite effect was also recorded, in which more time is devoted to working capacity. A series of such actions has an impact on the development of undesirable consequences in case of lack of sleep.
Most people are unable to form proper sleep patterns on their own. A frequent consequence of such violations in men is excessive workload, in which there is no rest. In women, similar conditions are manifested by a violation of the psyche, emotional background. In this case, it is important to identify the cause in time in order to avoid the possible consequences of lack of sleep.
Features of lack of sleep
Lack of sleep can adversely affect a person's health. Women are more susceptible to this. However, the characteristic manifestations can cause discomfort in the male sex, while choosing a treatment is much more difficult, because lack of sleep is difficult to diagnose.
Male
It is not difficult to identify the presence of a negative impact in women, because the reason often lies in psychological and physiological disorders. Finding sleep deprivation in men is not easy. this can be influenced by external and internal factors.
As a result, a list of common causes of insomnia was formed, which include:
- Change in status in a relationship. The ongoing processes greatly perplex men for the reason that adjustments should be made to the lifestyle. Celebrations such as marriage, the birth of a baby, the transfer of a child from the parental home, are transferred in the same way. In this regard, it is worthwhile to start preparing for the upcoming changes in advance in order to reduce the impact on the emotional background.
- Profitable deals, financially and creatively, are an anxiety-provoking factor that leads to insomnia. Many males feel responsible for the actions they take. That is why frequent thoughts about this begin to appear in the evening. In this way, a person tries to avoid defeat.
- Addictions. These include: smoking in a recreation area, drinking alcohol before bedtime, and consuming large amounts of caffeine. All this can lead to excitation of the nervous system. However, it will take a little longer for the onset of relaxation. It is especially dangerous to play computer games at night, as the brain is overloaded. A possible outcome is a disturbed sleep pattern, through which a good mood is formed for the whole day.
- External factors. Some men prefer to sleep to music, lights on or curtains open. Severe fatigue can speed up the inhibition of the reaction. Ultimately, these actions will lead to awakenings in the middle of the night or early morning. However, it is almost impossible to focus on rest after that.
Also, the consequences of lack of sleep for men can be certain diseases, accompanied by daily or chaotic pain. They mainly occur in the evening. To solve the problem, it is worth making an appointment with a doctor. Based on the results of the examination, treatment will be prescribed.
Female
In view of numerous studies, we can say that women of any age group are prone to sleep deprivation much more than men. This is due to their tendency to stressful situations and depressive states.
Sleep deprivation has some gender differences. Indeed, in men, this is due to the inability to find ways to solve the situation. Women most deeply endure such manifestations, experiencing the positive and negative moments that happen to them or to those around them.
In such cases, the brain and nervous system are in tension, which makes it impossible to readjust to sleep and proper rest.
The main reasons for sleep deprivation include:
- the body's susceptibility to stressful situations;
- the duration of the controversial issues;
- termination of relationships with the opposite sex;
- matchmaking and preparatory measures before the wedding;
- the process of bearing and giving birth to a baby;
- moving to another city or looking for a new job;
- storage of classified information;
- death of the close circle.
The inability to get rid of worries even in the evening can lead to nightmares, which are of a regular nature. Everything will continue until the proper measures are taken against lack of sleep. A psychologist, a special program or yoga classes can contribute to a speedy recovery. Traditional medicine is less commonly used.
12 psychological consequences of sleep deprivation
Poor sleep provokes complications in the body and leads to pathological disorders. The negative consequences of lack of sleep can occur in any system of the body. It starts with thought processes and memory, ends with the development of neurological and psychological disorders.
Poor performance
Due to the characteristic changes observed with insufficient sleep, fertility often deteriorates. Most of the reasons are related to each other, so the presence of any of them creates problems in other organs. However, it is possible to improve the condition, but before that you should consult a specialist.
Impaired concentration and slowed down reactions
Many felt the influence of sleep on various processes in the body. If you don't get enough sleep, it becomes difficult to adequately perceive the incoming information. In addition, it is impossible to focus on the goal. This indicates a violation of concentration, which is why people commit many unauthorized actions. At the same time, it is not possible to find a solution even for simple problems.
A dangerous outcome is manifested in the presence of a chronic form of the disease. As a result, there are frequent road accidents, in which death is not uncommon. Most of the rest are subject to persons belonging to the young population - up to 25 years.
Depression risk
Constant sleep disturbance leads to depression. Basically, anxious and depressive states are manifested in people who sleep little - no more than 5 hours a day. In addition, sleepless nights increase the risk of developing the disease by 5 times, and also refers to one of its first symptoms. If you do not get enough sleep, the disease worsens, which affects the quality of sleep - it worsens.
Anxiety Disorder Risk
There is a severe form of the disease - this is a serious anxiety disorder. In this case, the symptomatology manifests itself in the form of panic attacks and nightmares. Surges must be monitored and treated to prevent relapses.
Irritability
If the dreams are superficial, then irritability is possible. The accompanying signs are weakness and overwork. But there may be other symptoms as well.
Irritation occurs for any reason. This can adversely affect the psyche of the patient. It is easy to prevent this: the main thing is to observe a sleep and rest regimen, and in the presence of a disease, use drugs. The progression of the disease should not be allowed, otherwise it will be almost impossible to recover.
Depression, depression of mood
Daily lack of sleep can harm the nervous system, as a result, people are more aggressive and irritable. To a greater extent, the teenager suffers from this, since the psyche is shattered.
With a lack of rest, some changes are observed in the brain. Positive thinking worsens and negative associations increase. All this causes tremendous harm to the emotional state, because of which there are encouraging symptoms for depression and suicide. In view of the study of the problem of lack of sleep, in the presence of a chronic form of insomnia, disorders of psychological processes increase by 4 times.
Drunk
General health worsens if you don't get enough sleep. In addition, prolonged vigor is equated with drunkenness. Drowsiness resembles alcohol intoxication. The signs are slightly similar: concentration is reduced, actions are inhibited, and thinking is weakened.
Emotional instability
Lack of sleep creates a consequence - heightened feelings of anxiety and fear. This assumption has been scientifically substantiated. In addition, a mental breakdown is possible. The only right decision in this case is good rest and healthy sleep. In the future: if possible, observe the regime, but if this does not work, then take at least 7 hours to sleep.
Mental disorder
According to the results of repeated studies, people who take less time to sleep are more likely to develop hallucinations. Such consequences are observed much more often, because the figure increases by 4 times, compared to the general population, which does not suffer from it.
Important! If sleepless nights are of a protracted nature, then the patient may be visited by thoughts of suicide. The hallucinations from lack of sleep are to blame for this.
Memory losses
In a dream, the information accumulated during the day is processed in the cerebral cortex. Depending on the phase, there are different processing processes that make up the memories. However, the systematic failure of rest and sleep makes some adjustments, whereby memory lapses occur.
Clumsiness
Lack of sleep can distort reality as well as lull certain reflexes. This is why most people can behave awkwardly.
Decreased libido, impotence
A man or a woman equally experience a lack of adequate rest, which is a consequence of a decrease in sexual activity and interest in sexual intercourse. At the same time, the consequences of lack of sleep are expressed in severe exhaustion, because of which it is not possible to perform any actions. Also, for males, this is fraught with a decrease in testosterone, which has some effect on attraction. This often leads to the development of pathology - impotence.
18 physiological and pathological consequences of sleep deprivation
Quality rest and sleep is a necessity, without which it is impossible to maintain the vital activity of the whole organism. In addition, the body and the brain center need it more. But in the modern world, humanity does not receive the required amount of sleep.
With excessive workload, when people try with all their might to do more than the intended goal, the missing sleep time is extracted. At the same time, no more than 5 hours remain for the whole day. The set mode is the norm. However, few realize that the body is working for wear and tear.
All this is capable of destroying a person from the inside. That is why serious consequences are becoming a frequent occurrence: psychological disorders, hallucinosis, vision problems.
Premature aging, decreased life expectancy
Before disrupting the daily routine, it is worth remembering that a serious consequence is possible: the likelihood of death at a young age increases. At the same time, the lack of proper rest is harmful to health. Often this is accompanied by violations in the work of organs and systems. The heart and brain suffer the most.
Constant sleepiness
Sleep disturbance leads to disastrous consequences. At the same time, the lack of adequate rest for some time is accompanied by characteristic signs: drowsiness, yawning.
Visual impairment
Spending less time on quality sleep and rest, a person feels a strain on his eyes. This judgment was suggested by scientists who have conducted research countless times. In this case, ischemic neuropathy may develop.
With such a diagnosis, problems arise with the nutrition of the optic nerve, which provokes the appearance of glaucoma. But if there is a hearing impairment, then the situation is aggravated, therefore, vision is often lost for good. Observing similar symptoms from relatives or from oneself, it is worth seeking help from a doctor. Normalizing sleep will prevent possible disturbances and negative consequences.
Deterioration in performance
In the absence of sleep for a long time, it is possible to observe certain consequences: lethargy and slowing down of the reaction, which leads to a deterioration in working capacity. In this case, the head often hurts, weakness is observed.
Change in appearance
Lack of proper rest provokes skin aging. If there was no sleep for a long time, then the elasticity of the epidermis weakens. This is because, due to chronic fatigue, a person experiences tension, and it is responsible for the production of cortisol. Excessive amounts of it contribute to the breakdown of the protein that ensures a healthy looking skin.
Excess weight
Every 3 girl seizes her problems. Junk food in large quantities causes excess weight. This is also affected by the deterioration of sleep: any age is subject to obesity with a probability of 73%.
Similar effects are observed due to hormones. The feeling of hunger is controlled by ghrelin and leptin. The first controls the need for reinforcement, and the second reduces appetite, so you feel full.
Important! Severe fatigue increases ghrelin but decreases leptin. If you experience stress, then the opposite is true.
Bone damage
The hypothesis of sleep deprivation caused by inadequate rest is not fully understood. However, studies on rats have given her existence. Scientists have identified abnormalities in the bone tissue during wakefulness for 2 days.
Important! The claim of sleep deficit can hit the bones not only in rodents, but also in representatives of humanity.
Being overweight or obese
The consequences of sleep deprivation for women and men are expressed in overweight and obesity. At the same time, many thought that while awake, it was impossible to gain extra pounds, since we were in motion. But this is not the case.
With a lack of quality sleep in the body, an imbalance of hormones is observed - the content of ghrelin increases. Its accumulation is fraught with an incessant hunger strike, a constant consumption of food is required. Getting rid of this feeling is not easy. The combination of the two concepts (ghrelin and cortisol) promotes weight gain. In this case, a fatal outcome often occurs.
If you do not act or seek help late, your health may worsen. It can manifest itself with certain symptoms: the heart and lower extremities begin to ache (especially when walking), dizziness is often observed, and diabetes develops.
The emergence of cancerous tumors
Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to cancer. This is facilitated by a violation of the hormonal background. If sleep is insignificant, then less melanin is produced. But this only harms the body, since this substance can prevent tumor growth.
Hypertension
There is growing evidence that not getting enough sleep contributes to diabetes. This manifests itself in an abrupt pressure value and a deterioration in general health.
Important! In sick people, non-compliance with sleep patterns leads to serious complications.
Heart attack risk
Chronic sleep deprivation can develop a heart attack or stroke. However, in the presence of such problems, the risk of disorders with the cardiac system increases 5 times.
Cardiovascular diseases
The problem with sleep is the main one at the moment. In connection with the progression of sleep and rest disorders, the manifestation of diseases is possible, incl. cardiovascular. The rating of violations in case of lack of sleep pushes such a situation almost to the first line. Because it develops from a chronic form.
Common consequences of lack of sleep:
- Severe pain in the head. Associated with a change in weather conditions.
- Abnormal heart rhythm.
- Heart attack or stroke.
- Hypertension
- Decreased blood sugar levels.
- Partial or complete paralysis of the limbs, due to which people can die.
With any changes occurring in the body, qualified help is needed. The main thing is to understand the essence of the problem and start treatment on time.
The possibility of developing the disease increases 3 times if you do not follow a sleep regimen or suffer from insomnia. To a greater extent, medical and law enforcement personnel are susceptible to this.
Nausea
In some cases, with insomnia or lack of sleep, undesirable consequences may appear, the list of which also includes nausea.
Constant pain
The ability to think normally, to perceive the surrounding reality is undermined, because there is intracranial pressure on the brain. This causes severe pain and discomfort. That is why the inability to rationally assess the situation is reflected in decision-making.
Decrease in body temperature
Lack of rest disrupts metabolic processes, as a result, it affects the body temperature - it goes down noticeably. In such a situation, a person begins to freeze.
Weakened immunity
Not getting enough sleep affects the immune system. All due to a decrease in the content of cytokines that support its defense. Therefore, with a daily lack of sleep, the likelihood of viruses and bacteria getting inside increases.
The importance of staying asleep
Adherence to the established sleep and wakefulness regimen is vital, since the well-being of a person depends on it.
Important! It doesn't matter what day of the week. In any case, high-quality sleep speeds up metabolic processes, therefore, its observance will ensure the normal functioning of organs and systems.
For clarity, you can compare a photo of a healthy person and a sleepy person. The first one has a fresh look of the skin, activity and high efficiency prevail. In the second person with sleep deprivation, the appearance indicates a lack of adequate and healthy sleep. This manifests itself in black circles and bags under the eyes, reddening of the proteins of the organs of vision and inhibition of the reaction.
If you don't get enough sleep, it can negatively affect your health. Learn more about the major physiological changes in the body that chronic sleep deprivation can lead to, and how to deal with this problem.
Unfortunately, lack of sleep very quickly affects a person's well-being and performance.
Of course, we all sometimes get less of a night's rest through stressful situations or other negative external factors. However, if this is rare, a one-time lack of sleep is significantly less of a threat than chronic insomnia.
If you have been suffering from sleep disorders for three months or more, it is worth sounding the alarm. Be sure to see a specialist if lack of sleep is negatively affecting your quality of life.
First of all, you need to establish the source of the problem.
Sometimes chronic pain, depression, sleep apnea and changes in biorhythms lead to insomnia, which can only be cured with the help of a qualified therapist.
At times like this, you spin around in bed for several hours, trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep. If the same situation persists for several days in a row, you should see your doctor.
Of course, insomnia is not a fatal disease. However, chronic lack of sleep significantly reduces the quality of life, and one should not forget that often the cause of insomnia is severe, sometimes even incurable, diseases.
This may surprise you, but chronic sleep deprivation often leads to other disorders. In this article we will talk more about this.
Biological changes in the body caused by lack of sleep
You probably already know that to recuperate and maintain good health, a person needs to sleep at least 8:00.
However, we do not advise you to rely so categorically on dry statistics. For example, 8:00 a.m. sleep at 60 is drastically different from the same 8:00 a.m. at a different age. In addition, everyone is different for a person, therefore everyone has different needs for rest.
According to research by the National Sleep Foundation, people between the ages of 26 and 64 should get at least 7-9 hours of sleep. After 64 years, people usually do not need such a long rest.
Children must sleep from 9 am to 11 am every night. This is how long it takes to activate growth hormones.
Despite the fact that each person has their own needs, it is worth remembering that there is a mandatory minimum required to recuperate, and it is 6:00.
Remember that chronic sleep deprivation prevents your body from recovering. As a result, brain activity decreases, and ceases to remove toxins from the body.
Let's take a closer look at the biological changes that occur in the body as a result of regular lack of sleep.
Not getting enough sleep alters your gut flora
This fact may seem strange to you at first glance, but scientists from the University of Uppsala (Sweden) have come to exactly this conclusion.
They conducted a study that showed that regular sleep deprivation reduced the number of gut bacteria in the gut.
Please note that a decrease in the number of intestinal bacteria negatively affects the metabolism. In addition, the altered intestinal flora impairs the ability of other internal organs to perform their functions, in particular:
- increases insulin resistance of the body;
- leads to a set of extra pounds;
- weakens the immune system;
- impairs the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Insomnia can lead to diabetes
Be sure to note that chronic sleep deprivation reduces the body's ability to absorb glucose, which can lead to diabetes.
This problem usually affects the elderly. However, being overweight and not getting enough sleep (
Sleep deprivation impairs heart function
If you sleep 3:00 less than you need every day, you are putting your heart in danger. Imagine this situation: for three months you sleep no more than 4-5 hours a day.
You may think that this is enough time to recuperate, but your body will think differently.
Chronic sleep deprivation raises blood pressure. Insomnia slows metabolism and leads to the development of insulin resistance. Sleep deprivation often causes inflammation in the body. As a result, the heart muscles lose their elasticity and become more vulnerable to stressful situations.
Scientists have come to the conclusion that regular sleep deprivation significantly reduces the ability of the heart to perform its functions as expected.
Insomnia negatively affects memory
If you've ever slept less than usual, you probably know the detrimental effects of lack of sleep on the human body. In particular, sleep deprivation lowers concentration, reaction, and attention.
Chronic lack of sleep leads to a significant impairment of memory, and this is not surprising, because any chronic disease worsens the quality of human life.
Studies have shown that insomnia complicates common activities such as maintaining a conversation, remembering new information, and solving simple problems.
Excitement - insomnia, insomnia - excitement
Oh this vicious, vicious circle! Of course, stress and intense experiences have a strong impact on the quality of sleep, and if you are constantly stressed, the situation only gets worse.
Do not forget that the body and the brain are closely related. That is why regular lack of sleep leads to an imbalance in internal balance, which causes even more stress.
Never hesitate to ask for help in such a case. If you have a sleep disorder, you should definitely consult a qualified professional.
After all, "the time to solve all the problems of the world can be with a good sleep."
The modern rhythm of life spins many in a whirlpool of events, affairs and worries. To maintain high competitiveness, a person is forced to work hard, constantly learn and improve. In addition, we try to devote time to children, elderly parents, and pets. We monitor the condition of the house, performing household chores in the form of washing, cooking, ironing and cleaning. In addition to all this, we have a whole bunch of worries, tasks and assignments every day that should be completed on time. In these hellish conditions, we try to do everything and take time from sleep. It seems to us that if we do not sleep for an hour or two, nothing terrible will happen. However, chronic sleep deprivation is very serious. And although its consequences do not appear immediately, the accumulation effect makes itself felt and after a couple of weeks the body will give its first failure. Today we'll talk about lack of sleep - how it manifests itself, why it occurs, what are its consequences and how to deal with it.
Chronic sleep deprivation symptoms
Everyone knows the familiar formula - a person should sleep 8 hours a day. But who set these rules? We are all individual and differ in the characteristics of our body. Some get enough sleep in a much shorter period of time (you probably remember Napoleon's four-hour sleep). Others need at least 9-10 hours to fully recuperate. Children, sick people and pregnant women need more sleep. That is, each person himself knows how much he needs to sleep. First, analyze your daily routine. How much sleep do you usually get if you have enough time? This number of hours is the physiological norm. If you need 9 hours to recover, you will sleep that much and you will not be able to sleep for 10 hours, no matter how hard you try. Therefore, 8 o'clock nights can sooner or later lead to lack of sleep. How to recognize lack of sleep and distinguish it from, for example, endocrine diseases, because in both cases the symptoms are very similar? Let's try to figure out the signs of sleep deprivation.
- Constant desire to lie down and sleep. Moreover, from overwork, you cannot fall asleep immediately, even with mortal sleepiness.
- Absent-mindedness, loss of performance and concentration, inability to perform daily duties.
- Lack of positive emotions, good mood for a long time, apathy, irritability, nervousness.
- In some cases, with severe lack of sleep, hallucinations, blurred consciousness, and impaired coordination of movements may appear.
- Chronic lack of sleep often leads to a decrease in immunity and, as a result, exacerbation of chronic diseases, frequent illnesses, etc.
- Insufficient sleep slows down metabolic processes, this can lead to excess weight, even if the diet remains unchanged.
- Lack of sleep leads to decreased appetite.
- In some cases, there may be swelling of the limbs and face, dark circles appear under the eyes, and the skin becomes pale.
- A constant lack of sleep leads to frequent dizziness and headaches.
- With an acute lack of sleep, gastrointestinal disorders may appear - constipation or diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain.
Chronic lack of sleep is not only the source of the above symptoms, but also completely changes our life for the worse. We run the risk of losing our job due to non-fulfillment of official duties, we break down on loved ones, often get sick, look bad, life seems sad and hateful. But why does this lack of sleep occur and is it always associated with constant employment?
- More often than not, we cut back on sleep due to the sheer amount of to-do and work involved. It is important to understand that you will not earn all the money, and sometimes it is better to choose the latter between clean dishes and a healthy, full sleep.
- Another reason for lack of sleep is banal insomnia, when we cannot fall asleep on time, and in the morning we feel overwhelmed. Insomnia can be age-related or caused by other medical conditions.
- In some cases, sleep problems may be due to neurological disorders. If you often and for no reason wake up in the middle of the night, do not feel satisfied in the morning, this means that at night the brain is not completely turned off and is distinguished by zones of increased excitability. Such neurological problems can be caused by stress, overwork, concussion, etc.
- Often we cannot fall asleep on time due to the fact that we overeat at night.
- It so happens that due to various circumstances, a person can confuse day with night. This can happen if you are forced to work at night. In this case, it is impossible to get a good night's sleep either day or night.
- Excitation of the nervous system can occur after drinking alcohol, black tea, cocoa, chocolate. Consumption of these foods should be avoided, especially before bedtime.
- Sometimes chronic lack of sleep can be the result of an elementary lack of conditions for long and prolonged sleep. Renovations at neighbors, stuffy rooms, restless pets, small children, a snoring husband - all this can be the reason for your lack of sleep.
If among the above reasons you find something that interferes with your sleep, you need to solve the problem. If you have small children, try to get enough sleep during the day with them, ask grandmothers for help, hire a nanny for half a day, in the end. Try to plan your rest and work so that you have at least 8-9 hours of adequate sleep a day. Otherwise, chronic lack of sleep can lead to unpleasant consequences.
The consequences of chronic lack of sleep
It would seem that what will happen if you do not get enough sleep on time? Indeed, at first a strong and healthy organism will not feel anything and will not change its mode of operation. However, if sleep deprivation lasts for a long time, day after day, if you do not replenish your "sleep" reserves even on the weekend, this can lead to serious consequences. First of all, your well-being and health suffers. You will feel overwhelmed, apathetic, sad. Nothing will bring you joy. This is fraught with the development of depression.
Over time, a person begins to close, becomes withdrawn. Nervousness and irritability lead to problems in relationships with others. Lack of sleep can be the cause of conflicts with colleagues, friends, children, loved ones. Efficiency is also noticeably reduced - a person cannot concentrate on the main thing, is rude to clients, is unable to work either physically or mentally.
Appearance also suffers greatly. With chronic lack of sleep, a person looks tired, downtrodden, emaciated. Puffy eyelids, circles under the eyes, gray complexion, fine wrinkles - all this cannot be avoided if you do not get enough sleep. Moreover, health deteriorates, you start to get sick often, and chronic illnesses worsen. Not getting enough sleep can lead to diabetes, obesity, impotence, and heart disease. If you do not want these consequences, you need to learn how to rest properly.
- Just get some sleep to start. Solve all the problems, leave the kids with their grandmother, put projects aside, turn off your phone and just get some sleep. Close the curtains so the sunlight doesn't wake you up. Sleep as much as you want. We can say that this is the first rehabilitation aid in the fight against chronic lack of sleep.
- Next, you should set the mode - go to bed and get up at the same time. Try to go to bed before midnight - this time is very important for the recovery of the body.
- In the afternoon, try not to eat fatty and heavy foods, especially at night. It is also worth giving up energy drinks - coffee, tea, etc.
- Increase physical activity, move more, to disperse blood throughout the body and get rid of insomnia.
- Two hours before bedtime, it is better not to watch TV, surf the Internet, or play at the computer. All this has an exciting effect on the body.
- Good sex and orgasm will allow you to relax before bed - don't waste this opportunity.
- Before going to bed, it is better to take a walk in the park, do light exercises, take a relaxing bath with pine oils, light candles, and listen to soothing music.
- Be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed, the room should have cool air no higher than 25 degrees. Choose a comfortable orthopedic mattress, soft pillow. Bedding and pajamas should be soft, comfortable and made from natural fabrics.
- Before going to bed, remove ticking clocks, flashing electronic devices - anything that can annoy you from the room.
- Pregnant women, women and the sick also need a nap - remember this.
- Another prerequisite for a healthy and restful sleep is emotional satisfaction and peace. Do not argue with anyone before bedtime, forgive everyone, do not solve important issues. Try to shield yourself from worrying thoughts.
And further. Use the bed only for sleeping. You don't need to read it, play with your child, just lie there. And then she will be associated with sleep, and you will instantly fall asleep as soon as you go to a comfortable bed.
Healthy sleep is very important for the human nervous system. Without food, a person can survive for 2-3 months. Can't live even 10 days without water. But without sleep, a person's life will stop after 3-4 days. This speaks to the true value of sleep. Get enough sleep to maintain health and beauty for years to come!
Video: lack of sleep - harm and consequences
With the modern rhythm of life, full sleep for some people turns from a daily ritual into an unattainable dream. Constant waking up at the alarm clock and going to rest in the middle of the night lead to the fact that chronic lack of sleep develops. For some, such a lifestyle is a necessity, while others reduce the total duration of sleep for the sake of their hobbies. In either case, lack of sleep is very dangerous to health and can lead to the development of serious diseases.
Definition
Chronic sleep deprivation is understood as a condition in which a person finds himself with a systematic lack of sleep or poor quality of rest. At first, there is a decrease in activity, severe fatigue. At the next stage of the development of the disease, constant irritability, soreness occurs. If insomnia persists for more than six months, chronic diseases worsen, general health deteriorates, productivity falls, reducing the quality of life.
Ignoring the problem for a long period of time leads to a decrease in immunity and dysfunction of various body systems. At the first signs of the development of chronic sleep deprivation, it is necessary to find and eliminate the causes of this phenomenon.
Causes
Traditionally, an overly active lifestyle is considered the main reason for lack of sleep. In fact, inability to plan time leads to constant fatigue. A person tries to do a large amount of work every day, although it would be better to divide responsibilities by day and pay attention to all aspects of life. In addition, lack of rest develops due to a number of other reasons.
- Diseases of the nervous system
An overexcited state of the central nervous system, formed as a result of psychological or physiological disorders, leads to increased activity and the inability to fall asleep. Even if a person manages to go to bed, his rest will be superficial, of poor quality.
- Improper nutrition
Eating the right food on time has a positive effect on all body systems. If dinner takes place later than 4 hours before bedtime and contains foods that are difficult to digest, it will not be easy to fall asleep. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in many homes it is customary to wash down any meal with tea or coffee containing a large amount of caffeine, which completely "drives away" sleep.
- Child syndrome
Probably, every parent at least once noticed a failure of the biological clock in a child, when during the day, increased sleepiness interferes with active games, and at night the baby has difficulty falling asleep. The same can happen with an adult.
- Bad habits
The use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco has a stimulating effect on the nervous system. Because of this, sleep does not come for a long time. Although there are cases when a person quickly falls asleep in a state of strong alcoholic intoxication, however, his sleep is superficial, intermittent.
- The discomfort
It can be caused by the wrong microclimate, some kind of disease, lack of space, uncomfortable bed and other reasons. All this negatively affects the speed of falling asleep and the quality of rest.
That is, there are many reasons for the development of sleep deprivation. Coping with the disease necessarily involves finding and getting rid of the source of poor sleep, not just treating the symptoms.
Features of sleep deprivation in different sexes
The causes of sleep disturbance in men and women, as a rule, are different, as is the mechanism of the course of the disease itself. The fairer sex is more sensitive emotionally, so their lack of sleep is often associated with some kind of psychological problems. Usually, this malaise is characterized by a protracted course and difficult treatment.
Men suffer from lack of sleep most often due to some external problem, for example, difficulties at work or sudden changes in life. Interestingly, when a child appears in the house, sleep deprivation usually develops in the father. The mother soon emotionally abstracts from the difficulties associated with the baby and adjusts her daily routine to the child's regimen.
Symptoms
- Signs of lack of sleep are "obvious"
Lack of sleep is accompanied by redness of the eyeballs, swelling of the eyelids, and blue circles under the eyes. Painful pallor and scruffy appearance are faithful companions of lack of sleep.
- From the nervous system
A person needs a full rest, since it is in the deep phase that all body systems are restored, including the nervous one. If the quality of sleep is low, a delayed reaction, increased irritability, impulsive actions, and aggression will soon make themselves felt.
- Other symptoms
One of the first signs of a malfunction in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is nausea from lack of sleep, which appears as early as 2-3 days of lack of rest. Further, immunity decreases, vision deteriorates, chronic diseases become aggravated. More than 80% of sleep deprived patients experience uncontrolled weight gain and premature aging.
If you find any symptoms, you need to start self-treatment or consult a doctor.
Psychological consequences
From the point of view of psychology, an unkempt appearance and constant sleepiness are not the worst consequences of lack of sleep. When destructive changes occur in the human nervous system, the brain suffers. Blood circulation in the frontal cortex significantly deteriorates, which leads to such negative reactions as:
- Short-term memory loss;
- Inability to think logically;
- Frequent dizziness
- Decreased concentration of attention.
With a prolonged lack of sleep, serious mental disorders occur, which leads to the development of depression, neurosis, and bouts of aggression. Doctors advise such patients to treat at home, not to drive a car, and to perform professional duties associated with difficult or dangerous work.
Physiological consequences
With a lack of rest, the body is exposed to severe stress, which causes hormonal disruption. As a result, this leads to weight gain. Interestingly, the kilograms are stored despite the fact that the person is sick of sleep deprivation.
The paradox can be easily explained - since the body works in a slow rhythm, the absorption of glucose decreases. At the same time, the increased production of the hormone of hunger forces us to often consume high-calorie foods. As a result, excess energy is transferred to body fat.
Due to constant stress, the pressure in the blood vessels rises. Pathologies of the cardiovascular system develop slowly, but do not manifest themselves in any way until a critical moment. Hypertensive patients are in the high-risk zone, since they are much more likely to get a stroke than hypotensive patients or people with normal blood pressure.
Disruption of normal blood flow leads to constant dizziness and even fainting due to oxygen and glucose starvation. The body temperature rises from lack of sleep, so a person confuses a lack of rest with a developing cold or flu, and begins the wrong treatment, which only aggravates the situation.
In medical practice, there is evidence that if a person does not sleep at all, then in 7-10 days he will be fatal. Of course, the risk of mortality with systematic sleep deprivation is lower than with complete sleep deprivation, but it still exceeds the normal value by 300%.
Treatment
If sleep deprivation has just begun to develop, then it is not necessary to see a doctor, since the disease responds well to treatment. For this it is enough:
- Normalize the daily routine;
- Spend more time in the air to enrich the body with oxygen;
- Arrange a sleeping place comfortably;
- Eliminate daytime sleep;
- Give up bad habits and go to a healthy lifestyle.
But if the symptoms of the disease appear constantly, you need to learn how to treat chronic lack of sleep. It is best to contact your primary care physician. After conducting a laboratory examination, he will clarify the specifics of the disease and will be able to refer you to a more qualified specialist on this problem. If you want to speed up the process, then you can immediately make an appointment with a neurologist, since in most cases it is he who helps to cope with sleep disorders.
Experts identify several methods of dealing with lack of sleep:
- Medications
They can be represented by mild hypnotics or powerful tranquilizers, which are prescribed depending on the level of complexity of the disease. Medications are prescribed if the basis of the disease lies in a nervous disorder, emotional or psychological instability.
- Folk remedies
In difficult cases, they are used as auxiliary, and in simple cases - as the main means of treatment. Relaxing herbal baths and mild sedative teas can help normalize sleep patterns and improve the quality of rest.
- Massage
It is necessary when there is a strong tightness of the muscle corset, especially in the neck and shoulders. The treatment course will allow you to relieve unnecessary stress and relax. It is best to perform this procedure just before bedtime or a few hours before it.
Any drug therapy consists of an integrated approach, which includes normalizing the daily routine and observing sleep hygiene. Without these components, all additional measures will not bring results.
Possible complications
Many people are unaware that lack of sleep leads to health problems. The effects of sleep deprivation on the body can be varied.
- Decreased potency in men
Hormonal imbalance leads to a decrease in testosterone production by about 15%, which negatively affects sexual function and the quality of intimate life. Naturally, this leads to even greater psychological problems.
- Frequent illnesses
A general decrease in immunity makes the body unprotected against viruses and bacteria. As a result, the person starts to get sick often. If sleep deprivation is associated with problems at work, then you need to remember that constant sick leave is unlikely to have a positive effect on your career.
- Decreased vision
Overexertion of the optic nerve leads to swelling. Intracranial pressure rises, destructive processes are observed in the vessels, which leads to a significant loss of visual acuity.
- Diabetes
Problems with the functioning of the digestive tract and the absorption of glucose increase the risk of developing diabetes. Particular care should be taken by people with a predisposition to the disease.
- Shortening of life expectancy
Statistics show that people who have normalized their daily routine tend to live longer than those with insomnia. At the same time, even sleeping pills do not help to extend the life span.
- Oncological diseases
During sleep, the body actively produces melatonin, which suppresses the production of cancer cells in certain organs. Lack of adequate rest leads to a decrease in the production of melatonin and an increased risk of developing cancerous tumors.
These are the most common complications diagnosed in patients with chronic sleep deprivation. Knowing what the danger of lack of sleep is, you can prevent the development of pathological processes and improve the quality of life, strictly following the correct daily routine.
Healthy sleep is the best way to hide traces of lack of sleep on your face. To improve it, doctors advise:
- Temporarily introduce 1-1.5 hours of daytime rest into your daily routine;
- Refuse to use electronic equipment 1.5-2 hours before going to bed at night.
Systematic physical activity, maintaining an optimal indoor climate, sufficient oxygen and following proper nutrition will also help improve the quality of sleep. All these measures will help prevent the development of sleep deprivation or cure its initial stage in order to exclude serious complications and return a high quality of life.
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