Sleep is one of the most vital resources which keeps you mentally sharp, physically fit, healthy, and sane enough to deal with stress and anxiety.

Unfortunately busy and stressed people tend to sleep for less number of hours than they normally should.

A normal human being needs a good amount of sleep, just like they need food, water, and air to work to function.

Importance of Quality Sleep

When we sleep, our body heals on its own and restores hormone and chemical imbalances. A human brain forges fresh links while asleep, which helps in memory retention.

By not getting adequate sleep, your body and brain systems won’t work in a normal fashion – resulting in poor life quality

By not getting adequate sleep, your body and brain systems won’t work in a normal fashion – resulting in poor life quality.

An extract of 16 research studies proved that people who sleep for less than the desired number of hours at night are at a higher risk of untimely death, by almost 12%.

Habits like caffeine intake are not enough to blame your body’s deep need for sleep. A chronic lack of sleep can restrict your body’s internal function systems and can trigger multiple symptoms and initial signs.

Consult your provider or talk to a doctor online if you have sleep deprivation symptoms.

The main reasons for sleep deprivation are daytime fatigue, irritability, and excessive sleep.

Let’s find out how sleep deprivation can affect your system and how poor sleeping patterns take a toll on the functions of your body.

Body’s Immune system

When a human body sleeps, the immune system naturally produces infection-fighting, protective proteins such as cytokines.

The immune system uses these protective elements to battle foreign body agents such as viruses and bacteria.

Cytokines not only helps you get a good night’s sleep, but it also gives the immune system the energy it needs to help fight off illnesses.

Poor sleep weakens the immune system and lessens its ability to fight when under attack.

If a body doesn’t complete the normal course of sleep, it may greatly affect the immune system and once the immune system becomes weak you tend to get sick more often and may take longer to recover in case of illnesses.

Constant sleep deprivation can also alarmingly be harmful to your heart, triggering other diseases like diabetes.

Digestive System Issues

Along with not exercising and eating way too much, sleep deprivation and poor sleeping patterns are other underlying factors that can cause obesity. Poor sleeping patterns mainly affect two hormones: Ghrelin and Leptin.

These hormones are responsible for appetite and feelings of satiety.

Leptin informs the brain about the fullness of the stomach. Without proper sleep, a human brain lessens Leptin and increases Ghrelin, which is a hormone that contributes to appetite.

The process of these two hormones in a body very well explains nighttime munching or why people eat later in the night.

Respiratory System

The connection between the boy’s respiratory system and sleep is also vital. A breathing disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, can disturb and affect the quality of sleep.

As you sleep interrupted and in bits and pieces, it can lead to sleep deprivation – leaving you with a chance to get infected and contract the flu and common cold.

Poor sleeping patterns also add to any existing respiratory ailments i.e. chronic lung infections.

Central Nervous System

A human body’s central nervous system works as an information highway. Sleep is important to keep the nervous system functioning properly, but acute insomnia can upset the flow of information.

A lack of sleep leaves the human brain exhausted, which decreases it ability to execute its duties properly.

Not just that, you may find concentrating on tasks more difficult. The signals that our body delivers may also get delayed responses, decreasing your ability to coordinate.

Poor sleep also adversely disturbs your emotional state and mental stability. You may become more impatient and experience frequent mood swings.

This can decrease your decision-making ability and also creativity. If poor sleeping patterns linger on for a long time, you might end up having hallucinations — hearing or seeing things that are not actually present around.

Sleep deprivation may also trigger other mental health issues such as manic depression along with others like:

• Impulsive Behavior
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Suicidal thoughts

You may complain about microsleep during the day. During micro sleeping episodes, you will be tempted to catch some sleep for a few minutes or seconds anytime, anywhere.

Microsleeping patterns may not be in your control to manage and can cause serious damage especially when someone is driving.

There are chances that you also injure yourself due to falls and trips.

Cardiovascular System

A lack of sleep affects the systems that keep our organs i.e. blood vessels and heart healthy.

It plays an important role in the human body and its ability to repair and heal the heart and blood vessels.

A body that doesn’t get enough sleep is vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases. According to a study, printed in the European Journal of Preventive Oncology, associated insomnia with an alarmingly increased chance of stroke and cardiac arrest among people.

Endocrine System

The production of hormones, one way or the other, depends on our sleeping patterns. For the production of testosterone, you need to get a minimum of three hours of peaceful and uninterrupted sleep.

Not getting sound sleep can also be an underlying cause of hormonal imbalance.

The disruption of sleep can affect the growth of healthy hormone production, mainly in adolescents and children.

The endocrine system helps repair tissues and cells and helps build muscle. The pituitary gland in a human body discharges growth hormones frequently, but a healthy lifestyle and good sleep can help with the production of the hormone.

Other factors that could hurt your health due to a lack of sleep include:

• Overthinking
• Excessive use of Caffeine
• Anxiety

Things you could do to de-stress yourself

• Maintain Healthy Nighttime Habits
• Reduce Work Stress

Develop a Positive Approach in Life