Running on 4-6 hours of sleep regularly may seem fine, but is it really? We often mistakenly believe that being accustomed to something makes it acceptable, when in reality, this is far from the truth. Let's explore the health hazards we expose ourselves to when we neglect the importance of sleep. While individual factors such as age, gender, hormones, and activity level influence our sleep requirements, on average, adults should aim for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep.
1. Cognitive Brain Function
When we lack sleep, our ability to focus, problem-solve, and think creatively diminishes. We've all experienced it - feeling too exhausted to think clearly. Just picture trying to make plans, solve a puzzle, or engage in a meaningful discussion without proper rest. It's nearly impossible. Ever found yourself struggling to converse while drifting off to sleep? Your words become unintelligible, and the other person can't help but chuckle at your incoherent speech. This firsthand experience of mental fog doesn't require scientific validation; it's a common occurrence when we're overly fatigued. Even a mere 2-4 hours past bedtime can impair our cognitive functions. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to hallucinations, indicating the profound impact on various brain regions caused by inadequate rest.
2. Memory
To piggyback off brain function, our memory is also negatively affected by sleep deprivation. Research demonstrates that college students who stay up all night tend to perform poorly. Despite their efforts to cram information into their minds overnight, memory consolidation actually takes place during our sleep, particularly during delta sleep. Insufficient sleep hinders memory retention. Any knowledge acquired during the day becomes futile without proper sleep. Reflecting on my college experience, I have pulled several all-nighters and realized that I did not perform any better than if I had slept, teaching me a valuable lesson: prioritize sleep. If you haven't grasped something by now, staying awake won't help. I even once dozed off during a final exam, rendering all my studying pointless (luckily, I woke up in time to complete it, but my brain was fried). While various factors can contribute to poor memory, if you notice someone struggling to remember things, consider asking them about their sleep quality.
Your brain needs adequate, quality sleep in order to store memories.
3. Mental Health
For individuals who already experience anxiety and depression, insufficient sleep can exacerbate their condition. Sleep deprivation significantly impacts our mental well-being. Most of us can relate to someone who becomes grouchy, cantankerous, and irritable when tired (raises hand). Our ability to tolerate stress decreases, making us more prone to outbursts, lacking patience, feeling awful, overanalyzing situations, finding life challenging, and perceiving tasks as overwhelming. What you need is a nap.
4. Digestive
Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones that play a crucial role in regulating our appetite. Ghrelin signals hunger, while leptin indicates satiety, particularly when our bodies have received sufficient sleep. Sleep deprivation leads to an increase in ghrelin levels and a decrease in leptin levels, prompting overeating, especially at night, and contributing to weight gain over time. Moreover, the impact isn't limited to ghrelin and leptin; insulin also comes into play. Insulin is released post-meal to lower blood sugar levels, a vital process that is compromised when sleep is inadequate, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels and decreased glucose tolerance. This cascade effect ultimately leads to insulin resistance and, consequently, diabetes. The repercussions of sleep deprivation can have severe consequences, illustrating the importance of prioritizing rest for overall health.
5. Hormones
When our sleep is disturbed or nonexistent, it not only affects our food hormones but also impacts testosterone, cortisol, and the growth hormone. Adequate production of certain hormones becomes challenging under these circumstances. The growth hormone, crucial for muscle mass development, is particularly affected. Whether you are a bodybuilder striving to increase muscle mass or an individual over 30 witnessing a decline in muscle mass due to aging, this hormone is vital. Testosterone deficiency can lead to various functions deteriorating, particularly affecting sex drive. Additionally, cortisol levels rise. This stress hormone, when elevated, can result in weight gain, metabolism issues, high blood pressure, inflammation, and blood sugar problems. Cortisol is involved in numerous bodily functions, and an imbalance can disrupt these systems, impacting our overall health.
6. Immune System
While we sleep, our bodies are busy creating antibodies to fight off bacteria and viruses. Lack of sleep leaves our bodies vulnerable and susceptible to illnesses. This can result in frequent sickness, including catching the common cold, flu, covid, congestion, bronchitis, and pneumonia. If it can be named, it can be caught.
Adequate sleep allows the body to build an army.
7. Fatigue
We all know that insufficient sleep results in fatigue. The issue lies in the fact that it deprives us of the opportunity to engage in activities that are important or desirable to us. Without enough energy for exercise, our health declines. Without enough energy for acquiring new knowledge, our brain development is hindered. Without enough energy for our hobbies, our overall happiness is compromised.
8. Coordination
Balance, reaction time, and coordination are all significantly impaired when we have not slept. This increases the chances of falling and it can be dangerous when we cannot react to danger in a timely manner. In fact, this is one of the reasons that driving under sleep deprivation is comparable to driving under the influence. Numerous tragic accidents have occurred at the hands of sleep-deprived individuals, leading to officers questioning if the driver is under the influence.
9. Appearance
If vanity is important to you, then prioritize your sleep as well. Persistent lack of sleep can result in under-eye dark circles, skin wrinkles, puffy eyes, and an overall aged look. A 30-year-old can easily appear to be in their 40s or 50s due to insufficient sleep. Instead of investing in expensive "anti-aging" treatments and products, invest in getting quality sleep for free.
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