If you have spent a night, turning left or right, tossing or turning, you know how it feels the next day, tired and cranky. Also getting less than recommended eight hours’ sleep makes you feel dazed and grumpy.
The long-term effect of sleep deprivation is real, as it drains your mental ability and increases the chances of physical risk as well.
Science has linked poor sleep to several health problems, from weight gain to weakened immune system and several others.
But, before getting into detail about sleep deprivation, it’s important to know causes.
Causes of sleep deprivation
In a nutshell, sleep deprivation is caused by consistent diminished sleep or reduced quantity of sleep. If a person gets less than eight hours of sleep, it leads to consequences on his/her bodies. Sleep deprivation is primarily caused by a sleep disorder.
Your body needs sleep, just like you need air and water to function properly. During sleep, your body heals and recovers from the days’ fatigue. Your brain also recovers, as it forges new thought and helps in memory retention.
Without sound sleep, your brain drains and doesn’t function properly. It dramatically results in lower quality of your life.
Some noticeable signs of Sleep deprivation include:
If sleep is deprived for a longer, it could lead to hallucination resulting to seeing or hearing the things that don’t exist. A lack of sleep can trigger mania in people. Other psychological risks of it include:
- Impulsive behaviour
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Suicide thoughts
- Mood swings