Sleep deprivation and its impact on your health

In a fast-paced lifestyle where many of us are racing against time and are busy working hard to achieve our goals, a balanced life and sleep cycle does not often take a priority spot in our daily routine. However, underestimating the importance of a good sleep cycle can have short-term and long-term impacts on your mental and physical condition.

If you are spending nights tossing and turning in bed, struggling to focus at work and feeling tired, cranky and groggy during the day, then chances are that you are suffering from an unhealthy sleep pattern and are experiencing sleep deprivation.

What is sleep deprivation?

Sleep Deprivation or lack of sleep is a situation where a person doesn’t get enough quality sleep and often wakes up feeling tired and worn out. This condition can be both a short-term issue affecting one or few nights or a chronic issue leading to the development of certain health conditions. Thus, maintaining a good sleep cycle is essential for everyone.

As per several studies, the daily number of sleep hours by different age groups is:

• Newborns (up to 3 months old): 14 to 17 hours.

• Infants (4 to 12 months old): 12 to 16 hours, including naptime.

• Young children (1 to 5 years old): 10 to 14 hours, including naptime.

• School-aged children (6 to 12 years old): 9 to 12 hours.

• Teenagers (13 to 18 years old): 8 to 10 hours.

• Adults (18 years and up): 7 to 9 hours.

For a disease-free and happy life, you need to inculcate the habit of a good night’s sleep. A healthy sleep cycle of 7-8 hours not only helps in improving your mood but will also ensure that you keep several chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, depression, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and arthritis at bay.

What are the factors that can cause sleep deprivation?

Several factors can cause sleep deprivation. These include -

• Sleep apnea

• Depression

• Hormone imbalances

• Excess consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs

• Unhealthy food habits

• Irregular and long work hours

• Increased screen time

What are the symptoms of sleep deprivation?

A person suffering from sleep deprivation can experience a host of symptoms such as -

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Mood swing

• Difficulty focusing and remembering

• Reduced sex drive

How can sleep deprivation impact your mental and physical well-being?

Lack of sleep can have adverse effects on your mental, physical and emotional well-being. If you are not sleeping then you can be at a risk of chronic health issues and even death. Some of the major complications caused by sleep deprivation include -

• High Blood Pressure - If you are unable to fall asleep or are not getting enough quality sleep, then your blood pressure will remain high for a longer period. This can further lead to the development of several heart ailments and may make your heart susceptible to stroke.

• Obesity - Lack of proper sleep can lead to weight gain as the part of the brain that regulates hunger gets affected due to sleep deprivation.

• Reduced Motor Activity - A poor sleep pattern can significantly impact your motor activity and may impact your daily body functions such as jumping, eye movements and avoiding obstacles, putting you at risk of accidents. Reduction in motor activity can also bring down your motivation to work.

• Hallucination - Severe or prolonged sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations or delusional thinking. This is usually presented in visual (seeing things or people that aren’t there) or tactile (feeling someone’s touch on the body etc.) ways.

How can you prevent yourself from sleep deprivation?

To prevent yourself from sleep deprivation, it is recommended that you maintain a healthy sleep pattern by following the below-mentioned

tips

• Set a bedtime that aligns with your sleep requirements

• Reduce your screen time to ensure that you can get distraction-free and quality sleep

• Avoid exposure to bright lights and instead opt for dim or warm lights as they can interfere with your sleep cycle

• Avoid consuming alcohol, oily foods and sleep medications as they can negatively impact your sleep

• Engage in regular physical activities like running, walking and gyming etc. as they can help in improving the quality of sleep

By adopting these preventive measures, you can improve the quality and duration of your sleep, reducing the risk of sleep deprivation and its associated negative impacts on your overall well-being.

(The author is a Lead Consultant - Interventional Pulmonology, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore)