An adult woman working on her computer late at night

6 Effects Of Sleep Deprivation To the Body

What are the effects of depriving the body of sleep?

  1. Weaker immune system
  2. Increased body weight
  3. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
  4. Prone to mood swings
  5. Reduced growth hormone production
  6. Nighttime breathing disorder
Countless yawning, moodiness, irritability, and forgetfulness are some of the obvious signs often shown by individuals who experience day-to-day sleep deprivation. While it is common to hear that sleep supports the production of growth hormones and affects the mood, there are other effects that you may have never heard of before. For the benefit of you and your loved ones, read on to learn about the other effects of sleep deprivation. Educating yourself on the effects could be a turning point in your life.

Weaker Immune System

Sleep allows your immune system to produce protective and infection-fighting substances such as cytokines. These cytokines are proteins in the body that regulate the immune response by sending cells to infected and injured areas. Cytokines also regulate sleep by directly sending signal neurons to the brain. With that, the production of cytokines is slower if you obtain less sleep. It all boils down to a weaker immune system. You may experience more pain when injured, and you may be susceptible to obtaining illnesses, despite short exposure to airborne bacteria.

Increased Body Weight

A young adult man working on his laptop late at night while eating a burger Naturally, the longer you are awake, the more food you require to fill your stomach. Sleep greatly affects the two levels of hormones that control hunger and fullness: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is the one responsible for telling the brain that the body has enough to consume. Without enough sleep, the brain forgets leptin and focuses on ghrelin, which stimulates the appetite. The ghrelin hormone is what encourages you to crave a midnight snack.

Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Some experts say that insomnia is linked to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. This is due to a lack of sleep. Obtaining less sleep slows down the body’s process of keeping the heart and blood vessels in a healthy state. With the process slowing down, blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation levels are greatly affected as well. Once the process slows down, the risk of obtaining cardiovascular disease increases, which then leads to critical heart conditions.

Prone to Mood Swings

A young Asian man in formal wear showing his frustration One of the most obvious effects of sleep deprivation on the body is constant mood swings. You might have experienced mood swings throughout the day due to a lack of sleep. Regardless of the reason for a sleepless night, you become more irritable and ill-tempered. With this, you become more susceptible to stress. Individuals who are always stressed develop anxiety, which greatly affects sleeping patterns. In simpler terms, it will be harder to obtain enough sleep once the body has already adapted from being subjected to stress. In cases like these, taking supplements and other forms of calming herbal beverages can significantly help prepare the body for sleep.

Reduced Growth Hormone Production

While the pituitary gland of the body continuously releases growth hormones, sleep significantly helps the process. Any sleep interruption at night greatly affects hormone production. Testosterone production typically takes three hours of uninterrupted sleep. As there is no specific time of the night when it is proven to work, it is safe to rely on 3 hours of sleep. Nevertheless, you should be able to acquire at least 8 hours of sleep to fully recharge and allow the glands to produce hormones that will support growth.

Nighttime Breathing Disorder

An asian woman in bed wearing a CPAP mask for sleep apnea A breathing disorder during nighttime is also referred to as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The disorder is developed due to poor quality and interrupted sleep. Conversely, obstructive sleep apnea is also the cause of sleep deprivation. As the name suggests, it obstructs or interrupts the sleep at night due to shortness of breath. With this, your body becomes more vulnerable to infections related to the respiratory system such as colds and the flu. The worst conditions that you might obtain are called chronic lung diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Key Takeaway

Being deprived of sleep does not only make you look older than you are but it also greatly affects some of the important organ systems of your body. Save your body from acquiring possible illnesses due to a lack of sleep. To combat sleep deprivation, take a look at two natural supplements from Puritan’s Pride. Melatonin Tablets significantly promote a generally healthier sleep cycle and 5-HTP Griffonia Simplicifolia made from African plants help ease anxiety or stress.