How Lack Of Sleep Affects Your Physiology
How Lack Of Sleep Affects Your Physiology
Do you find yourself skimping on sleep to scroll through social media, hang out with your friends or just have some time to yourself? While it might feel good at the time, getting insufficient sleep can spell disaster for your health.
Let’s take a look at just some of the ways that lack of sleep can alter your body’s functions.
How sleep deprivation affects your body
Hormone imbalances
When you’re not sleeping enough, it leads to an increase in stress hormones (because lack of sleep is a form of stress!) This can throw off the balance of other hormones in the body, including thyroid hormones, pancreatic hormones such as insulin, hunger and satiety hormones, and of course sex hormones.
This effect feeds into many of the other issues that we’re about to look at!
Impaired immunity
Want to avoid catching the latest cold or flu? Getting enough sleep may be the answer you’re looking for. When you’re sleep deprived, your immune system is weakened. This makes you more susceptible to infections as well as other forms of illness such as autoimmune disease.
Increased inflammation
Another impact on the immune system is increased inflammation. In small, acute doses, inflammation is actually good for us, as it fuels essential immune processes. But when you’re not sleeping, you can trigger the opposite – chronic low-grade inflammation.
Research is starting to link this specific form of inflammation to countless long-term health issues, from obesity to diabetes and even premature ageing!
Stalled metabolism
One common driver behind stubborn weight gain or struggling to lose weight is poor sleep. This is because it can disrupt your metabolism in a variety of ways. Your thyroid hormone levels can drop, along with your insulin sensitivity.
As a result, you’re vulnerable to developing insulin resistance while also struggling to maintain a healthy body composition.
Do you find it hard to get into a deep sleep?
Make sure you check out my top tips for a deep sleep here.
Mood & mental health effects
One area of health that can’t be ignored when it comes to sleep deprivation is your mood and mental health. Insufficient sleep can have you feeling irritable, moody, stressed and emotionally volatile.
It increases your risk of mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. And if you already have one or more mental health conditions? Poor sleep can exacerbate these conditions if you already have them. This can be a bit of a catch-22, as sleep issues go hand in hand with anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.
Impaired brain function
We all know what it’s like to feel foggy when you’re exhausted from lack of sleep. But it goes much further than this – poor sleep affects all areas of cognition. This includes attention, concentration, memory and problem-solving. So you’ll feel less alert, struggle to make good decisions and experience ongoing brain fog.
Increased heart health risks
Do you have cardiovascular issues that run in your family? If so, you need to make sure sleep is a top priority for you!
Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with:
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Heart disease
Stroke
As there are risk factors for these conditions that we can’t easily control, it’s best to control one that you do have influence over – getting enough sleep.
Poor physical performance
If you’re anything like me, you want to stay at your peak physical performance whenever possible! But skimping on sleep will have a negative impact on your physical performance and athletic abilities.
Not enough sleep reduces a variety of factors including strength, endurance, reaction time and coordination. So whether you’re working out, playing a sport or engaging in an active hobby, getting your 8-9 hours per night will help you to perform at your best.
Reduced libido
Noticed that your sex drive has dropped off lately? Your poor sleep might be to blame. Lack of sleep can disrupt sex hormones, resulting in a lower libido. In both men and women, it can reduce testosterone levels, which drives down sexual desire.
And yes, it can also lead to performance issues! So for the sake of a good sex life, hit the hay a little earlier.
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Hey there, I’m Rachel!
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.
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While we make every effort to make sure the information in this website is accurate and informative, the information does not take the place of medical advice.