Sleep Deprivation, It's More Serious Than You Think

Although the negative effects of short-term sleep deprivation have been documented in decades of sleep research, scientists are only now beginning to uncover links between sleep deprivation as a chronic condition and a range of serious medical problems. Perhaps because we've all experienced the irritability and impaired concentration that result from a restless night, most of us view a lack of sleep as a minor annoyance or an unavoidable aspect of modern life. When we're not trivializing someone else's sleep deprivation, we're wearing our own like a badge of honor. Our culture worships hard-driving, self-sacrificing people who can keep up with the pace of a 24/7 world and emerge from an all-nighter like an action film hero from a fight - with a few minor scrapes and bruises.

The consequences, however, of chronic sleep deprivation are nothing to trivialize, encourage or admire. Skimping on your sleep to devote more hours to your work or even to spend time with your family has a profound effect on your body's ability to cope with stress, fight infection and avoid major disease. Scientists have linked the following medical conditions and psychiatric disorders with sleep deprivation and the accumulation of sleep debt over short and long periods of time.

Sleep Deprived People Are at Risk for Clinical Depression:

Feeling disconnected or disinterested in our daily activities is a common symptom of short-term sleep deprivation. On the other hand, we may become more irritable than usual and overreact to minor stressors at work and at home. Sleep studies have shown that a lack of restorative sleep raises our level of cortisol - a hormone associated with stress - and affects neurotransmitters that moderate our moods. Although sleep problems have long been recognized as a feature of depression, more recent studies have demonstrated that sleep deprivation can provoke depression symptoms in people with no history of clinical depression or psychiatric disorders.

Prolonged Sleep Deprivation Is Associated with Obesity:

Researchers believe that the elevated levels of cortisol seen in sleep deprived people cause them to consume more calories to cope with feelings of stress. In addition, a lack of sleep affects the hormone leptin, which regulates sensations of hunger and fullness. Sleep deprived people are therefore programmed to overeat and are at risk for overweight and obesity.

Inadequate Sleep Can Lead to High Blood Pressure and Diabetes:

Even a brief period of sleep deprivation can temporarily affect the way your body metabolizes sugar. In fact, one study showed that after a week of restricting sleep to only four hours per night, most study participants were in a pre-diabetic state. A lack of sleep can cause insulin resistance, which often leads to high blood pressure and diabetes.

Obesity and Hypertension Are Major Risk Factors for Heart Disease:

Inadequate sleep quantity and poor sleep quality are associated with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Not only do these conditions put sleep deprived people at risk for events like stroke and heart attack, ongoing sleep deprivation tends to negatively affect the outcome for patients with major disease. Compromised Sleep Means Compromised Immunity:

Sleep researchers have demonstrated that sleep deprivation leads to a reduction in white blood cell counts and compromises the body's ability to combat infection. All four of the identified sleep stages - from light sleep to deep sleep and REM - may play a role in healing injuries and restoring vital immune system processes.

The often surprising results of recent sleep deprivation studies suggest that sleep may be as essential to our health as good nutrition and regular exercise. But while school systems have introduced breakfast programs for students and many employers encourage their workers to exercise on their breaks, the expectations at our schools and the companies we work for compel us to survive on less sleep than we need. Before you skimp on your sleep to complete a project for work or study for a night school exam, remember that whatever we steal from the body, it takes back from us in other ways. In real life, even action film stars suffer from sleep deprivation. Don't be a hero at the expense of your health; support the health that makes heroism possible.


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