Sleep Deprivation: 5 Ways It Can Affect Your Mind And Body
Not getting enough sleep is a miserable feeling. Most people know poor sleep messes with your energy levels and motivation, but it also affects your health in ways you may not realize. Insufficient sleep is also a common problem experienced by more than a third of American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To learn about five ways sleep deprivation may be harming your mind and body, check out the video below from Health Magazine.
Read: 3 Reasons Why You May Be Sleeping Too Much
1. Chronic Disease
Chronic sleep deprivation has been tied to higher risks of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression, the CDC reports.
2. Hunger Hormones
Sleep loss is associated with an increase in appetite that is excessive in relation to how hungry you are when you’re well-rested, research shows. It's also noted that the increase in obesity rates coincide with a decrease in self-reported sleep habits.
3. Cognitive Performance
Significant cognitive impairments from sleep deprivation can affect your performance during ordinary tasks like driving and operating machinery. It can also affect your short-term and long-term memory, ability to focus, decision-making capacity, math processing, cognitive speed, and spatial orientation, Harvard Business Review states.
4. Immunity
A lack of sleep can interfere with your body’s ability to fight off infections. Research shows sleep and your body’s internal clock, known as the circadian system, regulate your immune system.
5. Appearance
Getting enough sleep may make you look more attractive to others, according to one study published in The BMJ. Their research found those who are sleep deprived are perceived as less healthy, less attractive and more tired, compared to when they are well-rested.
See also: Sleep Deprivation: 7 Dangerous Effects Of Long-Term Sleeping Problems
