What Can Sleep Deprivation Do To You and Your Body

Getting around 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night is crucial for your body. Not getting enough sleep can lead to one of the following issues:

sleep deprivation effects

High risk of getting diabetes – scientists say that a large number of sleepless nights make your body resistant to insulin and, thus, your chances of getting type 2 Diabetes grow.
Increases the possibility of inflammation – when you are injured, inflammation is a good sign, but when it starts for no reason, you should start worrying. Inflammation is associated with various diseases, from obesity to cancer. Your best way to eliminate any chance of inflammation is to sleep 8 hours per night.
Increased risk of obesity – working out is the least of your concerns while being tired all day long. Tiredness is associated by the body with stress, which leads to an accumulation of abdominal fat to protect the vital organs.
You are always hungry – the lack of sleep decreases the production of leptin, a hormone that lets you know when you are full. Therefore, you will live in a constant state of hunger.
It ruins your immune system – because of sleep deprivation, you have increased chances of getting more infections and diseases. Also,healing can take a longer period of time because of a weakened immune system.
You might look older – not getting enough sleep can cause wrinkles and dark circles underneath the eyes, making you look older than your actual age.
Cardiovascular issues – during sleep, your heart and blood vessels get their so needed rest. Not sleeping enough can lead to strokes, high blood pressure and heart attacks. For hypertensive people, the idea of not getting enough sleep is a no go.
It affects your cognitive functions – while sleeping, your brain rests and your cells recover. The incapacity of getting enough sleep can lead to lack of creativity and inability of focus, because the brain did not get the rest it needed. Both memories (short and long) can suffer.
Temperamental issues – sleep deprivation can make us cranky, moody and unable to perform any actions that we consider to be energy draining. Moodiness can also cause some damage to your relationships.
Increases the risk of getting cancer – studies have shown that the chances of getting breast and prostate cancer can increase when you are not getting enough sleep every night.
Mental issues – depression and suicidal thoughts get worse when sleepless nights are involved. Also, a person suffering from dementia can have a mania episode if he/she lacks sleep. At the same time, people suffering from narcolepsy might have hallucinations if they do not get enough sleep.
Respiratory issues – with the immune system ruined, you are most likely to get colds, influenza, coughs and other respiratory issues. Experts say that lack of sleep can increase the chances of getting chronic diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema.
Increases the risk of injuries – lack of sleep puts your life and the lives of others in jeopardy, especially if your job requires handling tools or climbing heights.