Are you sleep-deprived? Insufficient sleep will lead to irritability, stress, poor immunity

Health benefits of sleep: Quality sleep helps the body repair and recharge, supports cognitive function, and maintains emotional balance (Image: Canva)

With drooping eyes, a throbbing head, and a persistent fog clouding your thoughts, you reach for your third cup of coffee, hoping to shake off the exhaustion. These familiar symptoms signal sleep deprivation, a widespread silent epidemic.

Quality sleep helps the body repair and recharge, supports cognitive function, and maintains emotional balance. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night for optimal health. Despite its importance, many struggle to achieve this due to various lifestyle and medical factors.

Causes of sleep deprivation:

The common causes of sleep deprivation include stress, irregular work schedules, excessive screen time, and poor sleep hygiene. Chronic conditions such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome also play a significant role. Understanding and addressing these factors is important for improving sleep quality and health.

Here are 7 negative impacts of insufficient sleep on your health:

Lack of sleep impacts cognitive functions

Poor sleep patterns impact your brain functions such as attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem-solving. A study finds that if you are sleep-deprived you may exhibit significantly slower reaction times and impaired judgment, akin to the effects of alcohol intoxication.
Sleep deprivation affects mood regulation: Lack of sleep increases the likelihood of experiencing irritability, stress, anxiety, and depression.

Research highlights that insufficient sleep can exacerbate symptoms of existing mental health conditions, creating a vicious cycle of poor sleep and deteriorating mental health.

Hampers immune system

Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining a robust immune system. During sleep, the body produces cytokines, proteins that help fight infection and inflammation. Chronic sleep deprivation reduces the production of these protective cytokines, making the body more susceptible to illnesses such as colds, flu, and other infections.

Higher risk of cardiovascular issues

If you do not take adequate sleep you may suffer hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Research published in the European Heart Journal indicates that people who consistently get less than six hours of sleep per night are at a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease compared to those who sleep seven to eight hours.

Leads to weight gain

Sleep deprivation disrupts the balance of hormones that regulate hunger, such as ghrelin and leptin. Studies report that lack of sleep increases ghrelin (which stimulates appetite) and decreases leptin (which signals satiety), leading to increased food intake and weight gain. Additionally, if you are sleep-deprived you are more likely to crave high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich foods.

Increases risk of type 2 diabetes

Insufficient sleep affects how the body processes glucose, contributing to insulin resistance and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Alsol, if you are sleep-deprived your body may show impaired glucose tolerance, which is a precursor to diabetes

Leads to higher mortality rate

Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with a reduced lifespan. Those who consistently sleep less than five hours per night have a higher mortality rate compared to those who maintain healthy sleep patterns. The cumulative effects of sleep deprivation on the body’s systems contribute to this increased risk of early death.