Not getting enough Z’s at night not only leaves you with bloodshot eyes in the morning and looking old and weary throughout the following day. Sleep depravation also wreaks havoc to your life in many other ways. Read on to know why you should start looking for ways to properly address your nightly problem.
It Messes Up Motor Performance
Based on a conducted study, having no sleep for 24 hours straight gives you the motor performance of a person who had about 5 drinks. A quick way to get back on track is to drink a cup of coffee and take a power nap for 15 to 20 minutes.
It Harms Your Heart
According to a published study, almost 1/4 of the participants who had less than 6 hours of sleep at night had some form of cardiovascular disease. Some of them include high blood pressure, clogged up arteries and weak heartbeat.
It Encourages You to Eat Excessively
Lack of sleep deters the production of leptin, something that is dubbed as the “satiety hormone”. With reduced leptin, it’s not unlikely for you to constantly look for anything that you can munch on.
It Promotes Packing of Unwanted Pounds
Not getting enough sleep causes an elevation in cortisol, the primary stress hormone. This prompts your body to convert calories to fat and makes you feel hungry all the time. In other words, it causes you to gain weight like crazy.
It Causes High Blood Pressure
Getting less than 6 hours of Z’s nightly can leave your blood pressure higher than normal. Again, this has something to do with the fact that sleep depravation causes an increase in cortisol levels, thus making you feels stressed.
It Wreaks Havoc to Your Brain Big Time
Experts say that lack of sleep can damage or even kill brain cells. In addition, not getting long and quality slumber at night may cause the brain to accumulate more of those plaques that are known to cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
It Makes Your Pancreas Pay the Price
According to a study, men who continually get less than 6 hours of shut-eye every night are twice as likely to end up with diabetes at one point in their lives.
As you can see, sleep depravation does more harm to the body than simply make you look terrible. If getting to dreamland at night is something you find difficult, look for effective solutions that help calm your body and mind — having a relaxing bath, drinking chamomile tea, meditating, getting a massage, etc. It’s also a good idea to consult your doctor to see if a medical problem is the one causing your inability to get sufficient sleep each time.
