Sleep is incredibly important for maintaining good health, as it allows your body to rest and heal. But if you find yourself repeatedly struggling to fall or stay asleep, this is a sign of sleep deprivation – which can have a terrible impact on your overall health and well-being.
Physical Health Effects
There are many physical health effects which come alongside sleep deprivation. One of these is a weakened immune system – years of research suggests that a lack of sleep can leave you more susceptible to illnesses. This is due to decreased production of certain proteins called cytokines.
Further to this, sleep deprivation increases your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Sleep is vital for producing hormones which keep your body healthy: when you’re not sleeping, your body produces less insulin hence the increased risk of diabetes. And sleep naturally lowers your blood pressure, so getting enough rest is vital for preventing heart disease.
A lack of sleep can lead to weight gain. This is because your body produces more ghrelin, a hormone which makes you hungry, and less leptin, a hormone which makes you feel full. This disrupts your metabolism, further compounding the weight gain, which is bad for your overall health.
Your athletic abilities and coordination are connected to how much sleep you get, too. In order to be at the top of your game in whatever you’re doing, whether that’s sport, manual labour, video games, driving, lifting and so on, you need to ensure you’re getting enough slumber!
Mental Health Effects
Your mental health is also impacted by sleep deprivation. When you’re not sleeping well, you’re more at risk of mood disorders like depression and anxiety; this is because a lack of sleep lowers your emotional resilience. This in turn limits you from being able to filter out negative feelings and emotions which, in time, can turn into these mood disorders. You will also find yourself more at risk of more serious mental health problems, because insomnia makes it hard to deal with stress. As this stress builds, you become more susceptible to developing issues like schizophrenia and addiction. This is rare, but it’s important to stay on top of your sleep schedule to minimise your risk of developing issues like these.
Most people will have experienced those days where you’ve barely slept the night before, and you find it difficult to concentrate because you’re so tired. Sleep deprivation lowers your attention and concentration abilities, making it hard to focus and function properly. This can be frustrating and upsetting, as well as very inconvenient. And it impacts your emotional state, leading to you feeling more irritable than normal or getting upset over things that might otherwise not affect you.
Impact on Daily Functioning
Sleep deprivation impacts your day to day life; you are less productive when you’re tired, and this can lead to impaired decision making. If this is a regular occurrence, it can cause a lot of problems in your life. This can lead to errors at work or school, accidents out and about, issues at home and a lot more trouble.
Another area of life impacted by a lack of sleep is your personal and social relationships. Exhaustion can make you irrational, leading to arguments and miscommunication. This makes relationships and socialising difficult, which causes further unhappiness.
If you find yourself feeling fatigued or desperate to nap during the day due to your lack of sleep, this is incredibly frustrating. You might feel unable to participate in the things you want to do, or trying to get involved but not enjoying anything because all you can focus on is how tired you feel.
Strategies to Improve Sleep and Promote Health
There are many ways in which you can turn things around and sleep better, therefore improving your overall health and well-being. Establishing a regular sleep schedule is important: a routine that works for you, helping you prepare for sleep and drift off quickly. Limiting caffeine and screen time in the evening, for example, and having a set bedtime, are great ways to improve your sleep schedule.
You should create a sleep-friendly environment too: use soothing colours in your bedroom, avoid harsh lighting, and make sure you have good-quality curtains to block out any outdoor sources of light. Invest in comfortable bedding and a supportive bamboo memory foam pillow to ensure maximum comfort, which will also help avoid the aches and pains often associated with sleep deprivation. Make sure the temperature of your room is to your liking, too.
Try some relaxation techniques before bed, like a warm bath or yoga, to help you drift off. And if you find you are suffering from chronic sleep deprivation that just isn’t getting any better, be sure to seek professional help.
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation really impacts our physical and mental health, leading to illness and low mood as well as a lack of motivation and the inability to function properly. Sleeping well is the key to feeling better, and if you want to improve your health and wellbeing then it’s the best place to start!
