In our increasingly busy lives, sleep often falls victim to daily demands. Recent studies highlight the serious consequences of chronic sleep deprivation. When the body does not get enough rest, cognitive functions such as memory and decision-making deteriorate, while mood disorders such as anxiety and depression become more common. Read on to know how to improve your sleep cycle.
What happens to your body when you don’t get enough sleep? (Image credits: iStock)
In today’s fast paced world, sleep it often takes a backseat to the demands of work, social life and endless to-do lists. However, lack of sleep can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health health. Lack of adequate rest affects the brain’s ability to function, leading to cognitive decline, memory problems, and mood swings. Sleep is a basic biological activity that helps the body and brain recharge, keeping them cognitively sharp and physically healthy. When we don’t get enough sleep, we put ourselves at risk for a number of negative consequences that affect almost every aspect of our physical and mental health.
We caught up with Dr Rakesh Gupta, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, who explains how lack of sleep can affect our bodies.
Lack of sleep and Brain function
Dr Rakesh Gupta explains that lack of sleep has a negative effect on the brain. During sleep, the brain excretes metabolic waste products that accumulate throughout waking hours. Lack of sleep causes a build-up of these neurotoxins, which impair cognitive abilities such as concentration, decision-making, problem-solving and creativity.
Sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation. Inadequate sleep impairs the brain’s ability to successfully store new information in memory, while existing memories weaken over time. Lack of sleep can impair learning, concentration and productivity.
Impact on physical and mental health
Dr Rakesh Gupta explains that sleep is essential for physical recovery and healing in the body. Insufficient sleep affects the body in the following ways:
– Sleep is essential for the immune system’s ability to fight viruses and diseases.
– Chronic lack of sleep makes people more susceptible to illness and takes longer to recover from.
– Sleep also regulates appetite and the hormones responsible for hunger and satiety.
– People who are sleep deprived have higher levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, and lower levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses it. This hormonal imbalance can cause overeating and weight gain.
– Chronic lack of sleep is also linked to a number of other health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and even an increased risk of some malignancies.
– Without proper sleep, the body’s metabolic systems are dysregulated, resulting in poor overall health. Impacts on mental health
– In addition to cognitive disadvantages, lack of sleep has a significant impact on mental and emotional health. Lack of sleep increases the likelihood of developing mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. It worsens symptoms in those who are already struggling with mental health problems.
– Sleep helps the brain process emotional information and properly control stress levels. When the brain is deprived of sleep, it becomes hypersensitive to negative stimuli and emotional events, resulting in increased irritability, mood swings, feelings of overwhelm and difficulty coping with everyday stress.
How to improve your sleep cycle?
In order to avoid the negative consequences of sleep loss, doctors recommend following the basic rules of sleep hygiene. It includes:
– Sticking to a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing sleep environment, avoiding stimulants like caffeine before bed, and turning off technological gadgets.
– Most adults need 7-9 hours of decent sleep per night to function properly.
– While missing a night of sleep is inevitable, persistent sleep loss needs to be treated immediately.
– If insomnia or other sleep problems persist, you must consult a doctor, as insufficient sleep can have a negative impact on overall health and quality of life if left untreated.