How well do you think you function on just five hours of sleep a night? Contrary to what you may believe, getting by on little sleep is not only difficult, but it can also be dangerous. In fact, sleeping for fewer than five hours a night can have some serious consequences on your health. Keep reading to find out what they are.

Causes of Sleep Deprivation

To put it simply, sleep deprivation is caused by constantly not getting enough sleep or having poor quality sleep. Having less than 7 hours of sleep regularly may even have consequences on your entire body. An underlying sleep disorder could also be an underlying cause.

Just as your body needs oxygen, water and food, it needs enough good quality sleep. You don’t just rest your body when you sleep, your body also heals itself and restores its chemical balance. New thought connections are also formed in the brain.

In short, poor quality sleep or insufficient sleep can lead to poor life quality and even a shortened lifespan.

Symptoms of sleep deprivation include:

  • excessive sleepiness
  • frequent yawning
  • irritability
  • daytime fatigue

It’s not enough to take stimulants, such as caffeine, to make up for your body’s need for sleep. This can actually make it worse by making it more difficult to fall asleep at night.

Chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with your body’s internal systems and cause more than the symptoms above.

What happens during sleep?

Pathways between neurons are formed in your brain. This helps you remember new information learned. Sleep deprivation, however, leaves your brain sluggish and ineffective in its function.

Your immune system is also hard at work, producing antibodies and cytokines to fight against pathogens. So cytokines even promote sleep, increasing the efficiency of your immune system. This means:

Insufficient sleep = weaker immune system = longer recovery/higher risk of getting sick

Long-term sleep deprivation can put you at a higher risk for NCDs (non-communicable diseases) such as diabetes and heart disease.

Your body

Central nervous system

Chronic sleep deprivation can interrupt how your body normally communicates with itself, through the central nervous system. It is also known as the main information highway of your body.

You could also have difficulty focusing or remembering new information. The signals may be delayed, your coordination decreased and you could even be at a higher risk for accidents.

Sleep deprivation can also negatively impact your emotional state, leaving you prone to mood swings and impatience. It can also impair your decision-making and creativity.

Have you ever gone without sleep for more than a day?

If you have, chances are you could begin to hallucinate – see or hear things that don’t exist. It can also trigger mania in people with bipolar mood disorder. There are other psychological risks. These include:

  • impulsivity
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • paranoia
  • suicidal thoughts

A potentially dangerous symptom of chronic sleep deprivation is microsleep. These are episodes where you fall asleep for a few to several seconds without realising it. Microsleep cannot be controlled, and if you are driving this can cause accidents to occur.

Respiratory system

To sleep well, you need to be able to breathe. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can interrupt your sleep and lower its quality. This is when the muscles in your throat temporarily relax causing your airway to narrow or be closed off i.e. you become unable to breathe. One of the more noticeable symptoms is snoring.

When this happens, your body forces you awake, interrupting your sleep. This can cause sleep deprivation and leave you more vulnerable to respiratory infections such as a the flu. Sleep deprivation can even make pre-existing respiratory conditions worse.

Digestive system

Sleep deprivation is actually a risk factor for obesity.

Why? It’s all about the hormones.

Sleep controls the levels of hunger & fullness hormones, leptin and ghrelin, respectively. Insulin, the hormone that converts glucose into energy, is also affected by sleep. Lack of sleep has been associated with insulin resistance, meaning that your body’s tolerance for glucose is reduced.

Sleep deprivation can also make you too tired to exercise and overtime, this lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain.

Cardiovascular system

Processes that maintain the healthiness of your heart and blood vessels are affected by sleep. These include the processes that influence your blood sugar, blood pressure and inflammation levels. Even the healing of your blood vessels and heart are affected by sleep.

If you don’t get enough sleep, your risk of cardiovascular disease can also increase. One study linked insomnia to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Endocrine system

The endocrine system controls hormone levels in your body. Hormone production depends on your sleep. For example, testosterone production requires at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep, or about your first R.E.M episode. Waking during this time, can affect hormone production.

As such, children and adolescents, sleep is vital to ensure the production of growth hormones. These hormones promote muscle mass formation and the repair of cells and tissues.

The pituitary gland may release growth hormones throughout the day, but sufficient sleep and exercise also help the release of growth hormones.

I am sleep deprived. What now?

You sleep the adequate amount. The typical amount is 7 to 9 hours each night. This will differ among individuals.

However, some of you may have been sleep deprived for a long time. In some cases, you might need to see a doctor or sleep specialist who can diagnose the cause of your sleep deprivation. They can do this by doing a sleep study. If you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, they may treat it with medication or medical device to help you get a better night’s sleep on a regular basis.

Some of you may even have a sleep disorder.

Sleep disorders:

  • obstructive sleep apnea
  • narcolepsy
  • restless leg syndrome
  • insomnia
  • circadian rhythm disorders

How do I prevent sleep deprivation?

You sleep. For most people, between ages 18 to 64, 7 to 9 hours is sufficient.

Other ways to improve your quality of sleep include:

  • limiting/avoiding daytime naps
  • limiting caffeine after noon/a few hours before bedtime
  • creating a sleep schedule i.e. wake & sleep at the same time everyday even on weekends and holidays
  • avoiding heavy meals before bed
  • reducing use of electronics a few hours before bed
  • exercise regularly
  • reduce alcohol intake

Sleep deprivation is a serious problem that can lead to some serious consequences for your health. The above information should help you understand the causes of sleep deprivation, what happens when we don’t get enough sleep and how to treat it as well as prevent it from happening in the first place!

What are some ways you’ve been able to increase your own productivity while getting more rest? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below. In addition, if any of this has inspired you or made you curious about natural remedies for better sleep–check out our blog on all-natural methods here. Good luck with making sure everyone gets their beauty sleep!