Did you know that not getting enough sleep is slowly killing you?
The typical adult needs seven to nine hours of rest each and every night. We all know that sleep is very important but studies show that most of us aren’t getting what we need. The older we get, the more our lives fill up with work, college, and kids. Therefore, sleeping becomes less of a priority.
The effect is more than just eye rubbing and feeling tired. It has serious consequences for your brain and body. A lack of sleep will cause your physical and mental health to suffer. Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist who directs the sleep and neuroimaging lab at U.C. Berkeley, told Business Insider, “The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.”
How exactly does this happen? Here are 10 of the effects that sleep deprivation has on your body.
1. Increased Risk of Cancer
Scientists link disrupted sleep schedules to increased risks for several cancers, most notably colon and breast cancers.
2. Skin Ages Faster
Studies proved that sun-damaged skin doesn’t heal as well for poor sleepers, so those people wind up showing more signs of skin aging.
3. Risk of Mood Swings or Depression
Not getting enough hours each night also negatively affects your mental abilities and emotional state. You may feel more impatient or prone to mood swings. It can also cause you to have depressive episodes and anxiety attacks.
4. Weight Gain
People who don’t get enough rest have more cravings for unhealthy meals, a harder time resisting high-calorie foods, and difficulty controlling their impulses. Researchers think hormonal imbalances that result from sleep deprivation are responsible for this.
5. Impaired Vision
The longer you are awake, the more visual errors you’ll encounter, and the more likely you are to experience outright hallucinations. Lacking rest also causes tunnel vision, double vision, and perceived dimness.
6. A Weakened Immune System
Prolonged sleep deprivation and even one night of sleeplessness can impede your body’s natural defenses against infections and diseases.
7. Increased Risk of Heart Attack or Stroke
Not letting yourself rest also affects your body’s ability to heal and repair the blood vessels and heart. Getting enough sleep is vital to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, including your blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation levels. Therefore, sleeping less increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.
8. Diminished Sex Life
Sleep deprivation and disturbed rest, consequently, reduce libido and increase sexual dysfunction.
9. Impaired Motor Skills
It also seems to affect your ability to carry on a conversation — much like having too much to drink. You are clumsier, less productive, and have a hard time concentrating. You also experience some memory loss.
10. Increased Risk of A Car Accident
Drowsy driving is dangerous because sleep deprivation can have similar effects on your body as drinking alcohol. Someone who stays awake for 18 hours straight drives like someone with a blood alcohol level of .05 (for reference, .08 is considered drunk).
These are only some of the health problems that are caused by a lack of rest. There are many more consequences associated with it, but remember this if nothing else: People who lack consistent sleep will likely die sooner.
Make sure you spend more time with your pillow and don’t overexert yourself. Your body will thank you for it.
Featured image via Pexels.
