Whether you’re a college student cramming for finals or a nurse working the overnight shift, chances are you’ve had to burn the midnight oil from time to time. Everyone has heard that sleep deprivation has negative physical and mental side effects, but just how detrimental is lack of sleep on your body? Below, we examine some of the problems associated with sleep deprivation.
Depression and substance abuse are two risk factors associated with an inadequate amount of sleep. According to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, lack of sleep can exacerbate stress during the waking hours. People who are overly stressed can turn to drugs or alcohol for a calming effect, or they can become emotionally depressed.
Your internal clock can be thrown off if you only get 5-6 hours of sleep a night. This can affect certain brain functions and how an individual responds to stress. According to Timothy H. Monk, director of a sleep study for the Human Chronobiology Research Program at Western Psychiatric, it is especially important for older individuals to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. “The circadian signal isn’t as strong as people get older,” said Monk.
Muscle and tissue development occurs while you sleep, so it’s important to give your body enough time to heal itself. As Dr. Silverman has documented in an earlier post, sleep is a restorative process that gives muscle tissue time to repair. Dr. Michael J. Twery, a sleep specialist with the National Institute of Health, echoed that sentiment; “Sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies.”
Weight gain and a slower metabolism are two more side effects of insufficient sleep. Night owls have more time to snack throughout the day, and the lack of sleep slows the production of leptin, a hormone that tells the brain it’s had enough food. Sleep-deprived individuals also have higher levels of a hormone known as ghrelin, which stimulates a person’s apetitite.
Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous side effect of sleep deprivation. According to researchers, healthy males who were prevented from sleeping more than four hours a night for six nights in a row ended up developing insulin and blood sugar levels similar to those people deemed pre-diabetic.
A person’s driving skills decrease with insufficient sleep. One study found that sleep-deprived individuals preformed similar to drunk drivers in road tests. It also found that no amount of coffee or caffeine can negate the dangerous side effects.
Normal growth and cognitive processes can be affected in children who don’t receive ample amounts of sleep. We’ve mentioned that sleep helps repair muscle tissue, but did you know growth hormones are released by your body when you sleep? Children need sleep to help grow big and strong. Another study found that 28 percent of children who suffered from lack of sleep exhibited signs of ADHD. Although they were not diagnosed with the disease, they showed symptoms similar to those who were categorized as having the disorder.
The common cold and some cancers are potential side effects of sleep deprivation. A study at Carnegie Mellon University found that sleep-deprived individuals were three times more likely to contract a flu or cold than their well-rested counterparts. A study out of Japan found that women who didn’t receive an adequate amount of sleep had higher rates of breast cancer than those women who got 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Researchers believe the lack of sleep slowed the production of the hormone melatonin. Low melatonin levels have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
High blood pressure and heart disease are two final symptoms of lack of sleep. Medical studies have found that sleep-deprived individuals exhibit a higher likelihood of calcification of blood vessels, which leads to heart disease. “Do we need any more evidence to press the snooze button and put our head back on the pillow?” said Dr. Silverman.
In order to ensure you’re receiving an adequate amount of sleep, doctors advise that you avoid certain activities late in the day. Aside from crawling into bed at a decent hour, doctors recommend you:
- Avoid late-in-day naps
- Refrain from consuming caffeinated products at night
- Reduce light-emitting distractions while in bed (iPad, TV, bright alarm clock)
- Remove noisy distractions from the bedroom (pets, loud clocks, TV)
Related source: New York Times