Chills from lack of sleep. Chronic lack of sleep: symptoms and consequences

Good sleep is an important part healthy lifestyle life. Many people forget about this, and mistakenly assume that having slept off on the weekend, they will return the lost hours to the body within working week. Chronic sleep deprivation contributes to the development of many diseases, including cancer, hypertension and diabetes. Even if a person will take vitamins, exercise and eat well, this will not help his body restore the need for healthy sleep.

Good sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Many people forget about this, and mistakenly assume that having slept off on the weekend, they will return the lost hours to the body during the working week. Chronic sleep deprivation contributes to the development of many diseases, including cancer, hypertension and diabetes. Even if a person will take vitamins, exercise and eat well, this will not help his body restore the need for healthy sleep.

Top 10 Consequences of Chronic Sleep Deprivation

Systematic lack of sleep is much more dangerous than staying awake for several days. A person who has not had enough sleep for two weeks begins to get used to it, and a five-hour sleep becomes the norm for him. The body simply adapts to such a rhythm of life and works with all its might. If a person does not restore a full eight-hour sleep, the body will not be able to hold out for a long time in such a rhythm.

1. Decreased memory

During sleep, new information that has come to us for the whole day is transferred to short term memory. During each phase of sleep, different processing processes work new information that turns into memories. In the event that a person does not get enough sleep, important cycles of the memory chain are destroyed and the memorization process is interrupted.

Each of us could at least once feel for ourselves that a sleepy person does not remember information well, since he simply does not have the strength to concentrate and concentrate.

2. Slow down thought processes

As a result of research, it was found that lack of sleep causes a decrease in concentration. As a result of lack of sleep, it is easier to make mistakes and harder to concentrate - to solve even the simplest problems. logical tasks sleepy man unable to.

3. Sleep deprivation impairs vision

Constant neglect of sleep is detrimental to vision. The scientists came to the conclusion that chronic sleep deprivation can cause glaucoma, which can later lead to blindness. In the case of periodic lack of sleep, a person may experience ischemic optic neuropathy - vascular disease that occurs after waking up. The optic nerve is damaged due to insufficient blood supply, resulting in sudden loss vision in one eye.

4. Emotional instability in adolescents

Regular sleep deprivation causes depression in teenagers. With a lack of sleep, the psyche of a teenager is extremely vulnerable - an imbalance in the activity of brain regions occurs. So, in areas of the prefrontal zone, which regulates negative associations, activity decreases and adolescents are prone to pessimism and a depressed emotional state.

5. Pressure increase

Chronic sleep deprivation after 25 years of age causes increased blood pressure. American scientists have found that late awakening (sleep rhythm disturbance) also causes an increase in pressure and can cause overweight.

6. Reduced immunity

A person who does not systematically get enough sleep is more susceptible to viral diseases. This is due to the depletion of the body, protective functions which are reduced, giving pathogens a "green color".

7. Premature aging

Failure to comply with sleep-wake rhythms can lead to early aging of the body. Melatonin - powerful antioxidant, plays important role in the prolongation of youth. In order for the body to produce a sufficient amount of melatonin, a person must sleep at least 7 hours at night (dark) time of the day, since as a result good sleep we get 70% daily dose melatonin.

8. Life expectancy is decreasing

In case of lack or excess of sleep, the likelihood of the onset of premature death. This is evidenced by the results of research by American scientists. The life expectancy of people experiencing chronic sleep deprivation is reduced by 10%.

9. Obesity

Due to lack of sleep, a person is rapidly gaining weight. This is due to an imbalance in the secretion of hormones that are responsible for feelings of satiety and hunger. At hormonal failure a person experiences constant feeling hunger, which is difficult to satisfy. Also, the cause of metabolic disorders due to lack of sleep can be excessive production of the hormone cortisol, which also stimulates hunger. Changes in the daily rhythm of hormone secretion thyroid gland, pituitary gland, which causes functional and organic disorders many organs and systems of the human body.

10 Cancer

Lack of sleep can lead to cancer. Scientists explain the risk of oncology by a violation of the production of melatonin. This hormone, in addition to antioxidant properties, is able to suppress the growth of tumor cells.

Sleep deprivation: health problems

The reason for lack of sleep can be not only a busy work schedule. Most often, we cannot fall asleep due to objective factors that affect healthy sleep. By making the same mistakes over and over again, we deprive ourselves of comfortable conditions to sleep without even knowing it.

Chronic sleep deprivation leads to the following problems:

Nightmares, headaches, as a result of which we cannot sleep, may be the result of too slow blood circulation. The reason often lies in our habits - a tight elastic band on the hair, unkempt hair or too aggressive night masks.
Pain in the spine, back, muscle cramps, a feeling of cold may result from an improperly equipped bedroom. Please note that you need to sleep on a flat bed, a hard mattress, a pillow that supports your head, and does not bend your spine.
With dry skin, drying of the nasal mucosa, it is necessary to normalize the humidity in the room. The room should be regularly ventilated, especially before going to bed. The most comfortable sleep is possible at temperatures up to 20 degrees.

Article content

Full sleep implies the following regimen: you go to bed at 9-10 pm, instantly fall asleep and sleep without interruptions and awakenings for 9 hours. However, people prefer to break this regimen: they go to bed long after midnight, sit up at night playing games, TV or work, abuse caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals, especially before bedtime. As a result, sleep remains 4-5 hours a day.

Sleep deprivation symptoms

There is a lack of sleep. Disturbances immediately appear in the body - skin diseases problems with attention and memory, weak immunity. Let's take a look at what other dangers of sleep deprivation are and how to prevent it.

Its symptoms include:

circles under the eyes;
pallor of the skin;
drowsiness, microsleeps (short-term disconnections from reality);
reddened tired eyes;
headache, dizziness;
nausea;
lack of concentration, productivity;
irritability, anxiety;
body temperature rises;
level blood pressure increases.

What causes chronic sleep deprivation? This condition negatively affects health, especially for women. However, lack of sleep worsens the health of men, and in this case, it is more difficult to diagnose, which makes treatment more difficult.

What causes lack of sleep in men? Given pathological condition worsens physical form and preparation. Because of the constant feeling of fatigue, there is no strength and desire to train in the gym. In addition, the lack of sleep reduces the production of a special hormone in the body - somatostatin. It is responsible for the growth and increase in muscle mass.

Lack of sleep brings a lot of aesthetic problems for women in the form of bruises and circles under the eyes.

What causes lack of sleep in women? One of the most common factors that upset the female gender is the deterioration in appearance. Edema occurs, clear bruises form under the eyes, the face itself becomes “rumpled”, takes on a tired look. This cannot be eliminated with concealers or eye drops.

So, we briefly reviewed the dangers of lack of sleep. If you do not sleep enough, you need to get enough sleep as quickly as possible, subsequently adhering to the correct daily routine.

Consequences of lack of sleep

Difficulties in communication

Even if you didn’t sleep well for just one night, the next morning you will notice that the desire to communicate with others has disappeared along with a sense of humor and a positive attitude. Consequences of lack of sleep good rest already absent long time, consist in apathy, isolation, detachment, the desire to leave society.

Lack of sleep: consequences of a psychological nature

Why does a person sleep little at night? The reason may lie in psychological problems when the body lacks serotonin - the hormone of happiness. The consequences of lack of sleep and insomnia are that a person loses the ability to assess reality objectively. He begins to perceive it in black, does not want to make plans for the future and achieve goals, ignores positive events.

If you sleep little, the consequences can be terrible: people who have not slept for a long time develop a tendency to suicide, which is affected by the influence of a tired body.

Especially Negative consequences brings lack of sleep for men. A sleep deprived person does not have the strength to perform their work duties in full. He hardly forces himself to finish the minimum necessary things. Career in similar situations is not important, a man may refuse tempting offers that "go into the hands", and in severe cases he loses his job.

Psychological problems often lead to suicide

Psychological effects of lack of sleep

What happens if you get very little sleep? Lack of sleep is the cause of complications in the body, pathological processes. Negative consequences can occur in any organ and system of the body - from memory and thinking to psychological and neurological disorders.

If you are wondering "What should I do if I sleep little", then you should urgently solve the problem of chronic lack of rest, until serious malfunctions and disorders occur in the body. Get enough sleep: The consequences for women and men of sleep deprivation may include memory impairment. Sound and healthy sleep directly affects the ability to remember information. If you feel that every day it becomes more and more difficult to remember something, then you need a good rest.

If you have not been able to sleep for a long time, then your ability to make decisions (even the smallest ones) deteriorates. You think for a long time about what to buy for tea, what movie to choose at the cinema, what gift to give to a relative for his birthday.

Problems come when an important decision needs to be made. If the situation is stressful, and the need to quickly decide on any issue looms over you, you risk falling into a panic or stupor.

A tired and sleepy person is unable to concentrate. It is a good rest that affects the level of concentration. If a person regularly deprives himself of proper sleep, then his productivity is significantly reduced, he is distracted many times during the performance of a task. Chronic lack of sleep can be easily identified by a sluggish look that is directed nowhere.

Risk of depression

Lack of sleep leads to brain damage. People who sleep little are especially susceptible depressive state. It is enough to sleep a maximum of 5 hours a day, and then the risk of getting depressed increases significantly.

Sometimes to get rid of depression and bad mood get enough sleep

There is also a possibility of severe anxiety disorders. They manifest as nightmares panic attacks and require prompt treatment.

Irritability

What causes chronic lack of sleep? Lack of sleep negatively affects psychological balance. A person who does not get enough sleep constantly feels irritability, he has negative emotions. Studies show that this can lead to increased impulsivity when the reaction to any events is too violent. The consequences at such moments do not bother anyone.

Memory losses

Chronic lack of sleep has the following manifestations, symptoms and consequences. The body with a constant lack of sleep and rest will begin to “steal” it. As a result, a person will start turning off at any time, even the most inappropriate - for example, while driving. According to statistics, 50% of drivers at least once disconnected from reality for a short time, usually continuing to move on. If you realize that during the day you fall asleep for a few seconds, then it's time to reconsider your daily routine.

Also, fainting, headaches, dizziness, hallucinations often occur. Consciousness becomes confused, there are gaps in thinking, a person often loses a sense of reality.

Clumsiness

Lack of sleep is clearly manifested in coordination. Scientists have found that people who are chronically sleep deprived behave more clumsily than those who drink a little alcohol. The state of sleep deprivation is generally similar to that which occurs after drinking alcohol.

Decreased libido, impotence

Decreased libido is a natural manifestation of lack of sleep. Chronic lack of sleep is the reason for the decrease in sexual desire. In advanced situations, it is reduced to a minimum.

For men, lack of sleep is especially dangerous. He is the cause of impotence

Physiological consequences of lack of sleep

What else does lack of sleep lead to? Chronic lack of sleep adversely affects human health and physiology.

Premature aging, reduced life expectancy

Do not disturb your sleep schedule. Scientists have proven that chronic lack of sleep leads to the risk of death at a young age. Lack of rest is harmful to health: the functioning of organs and systems is disrupted, which is especially true for the brain and heart.

visual impairment

What happens if you don't get enough sleep? If you can’t fall asleep, and as a result, there is less time left for sleep, then people who have not slept for a long time feel tension in their eyes. This can lead to ischemic neuropathy.

With this diagnosis, nutrition ophthalmic nerve impaired, which increases the risk of glaucoma. IN advanced cases vision may disappear completely. To prevent negative consequences, it is necessary to normalize sleep and wakefulness.

Change in appearance

In the absence of proper sleep, the skin begins to age. With chronic lack of sleep, the elasticity of the epidermis deteriorates significantly. Chronic fatigue leads to constant voltage which increases the production of cortisol. His increased amount destroys the protein responsible for young and healthy look skin cover.

Other signs of deterioration in appearance are well known dark circles under the eyes, puffiness.

Excess weight

Many girls and guys are stress-eating junk food. In large quantities, it leads to excess weight. Why does a person sleep little? Overeating worsens the quality of sleep, as the body has to spend all its energy on digesting food instead of rest and recovery. As a result, in the morning a person wakes up completely broken and absolutely not getting enough sleep.

Diabetes

Is it bad to get enough sleep? Scientists give an affirmative answer. With prolonged insomnia and the absence of a day regimen, the risk of diabetes increases by 3 times. Law enforcement officers and doctors are especially susceptible to this disease.

Decrease in body temperature

Lack of proper rest leads to disruption of metabolic processes. This state negatively affects body temperature, which is significantly reduced. As a result, a person freezes and cannot warm up for a long time.

Weakened immunity

In order for the immune system to function properly, the body needs regular good rest. Otherwise the immune system begins to work intermittently, the person often falls ill. The reason is the lack of sleep. The tendency to infectious and oncological diseases increases significantly.

Weakened immunity leads not only to colds, but also to more serious diseases.

How to compensate for lack of sleep

Consider ways to compensate for lack of sleep. It is quite possible to compensate, the main thing is to pay attention to it.

Prioritize

Analyze your sleep and wake patterns. Sleep should come first, while mindlessly surfing the Internet, watching TV shows, reading books, and even some household chores come second to last.

Sleep during the day

The only way to make up for the lack of sleep is to sleep. What to do if you don't get enough sleep? Try to take a nap daytime days. For such a holiday, you should prepare in advance: find a quiet place where no one will disturb you. Close the windows to keep the room dark. Sit comfortably half-sitting (and the best way- in a horizontal position). Get at least 20 minutes of sleep to a maximum of an hour and a half. You should not rest anymore, otherwise insomnia awaits you at night.

The best option for daytime sleep is after lunch until 16.00. A full daytime sleep and a nap after dinner have a fundamental difference between them: with the help of the first one, you can restore vigor and really compensate for the lack of sleep, while naps deprive you of concentration and make you more sleepy and tired. If you didn’t get enough sleep at night, and after dinner you have 30 minutes to sleep, take advantage of this time. When there is no need for deep, restful sleep, you should not sleep.

Improve your sleep quality

Poor quality of sleep consists in prolonged insomnia, frequent awakenings. Also, this quality is facilitated by the lack of oxygen in the room, an uncomfortable sofa, an anxious, stressed state.

High-quality sleep consists of the following components: a ventilated room, a comfortable and beneficial mattress for the body, complete peace of mind and relaxation.

Take care of where you sleep. It should be spacious, bright and well ventilated.

It is better to sleep few hours, but quality sleep, than a lot, but low quality, in discomfort and with frequent breaks.

To improve the quality of sleep, try the following tips:

go to bed at 10-11 pm;
choose for yourself a comfortable orthopedic mattress, a comfortable pillow;
achieve the optimal temperature in the room so that you are not too hot, stuffy or cold;
regularly ventilate the room, especially in summer time of the year;
tame pets not to interfere with your rest at night;
give up alcohol, coffee and food a few hours before bedtime;
if you do not expect important and urgent calls, put the phone on silent mode;
do not watch horror before going to bed, do not read the news and do not sort things out with loved ones.

If you follow all the advice, sleep longer and quit your job, which you need to get up at 4 in the morning, life will definitely sparkle with new colors.

In contact with

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Recent research data. Sleep is not only one of the most enjoyable and relaxing aspects of life, but also one of the most important. Closing our eyes in the evenings, we give the body the opportunity to recharge after all the stresses of the past day.

During sleep, there are millions of processes that contribute to memorization, and cells restore and recreate tissues damaged by us in reality. But when we are awake, none of this happens. Not only that, after sleepless night we feel tired and cannot concentrate; long periods sleep deprivation can lead to very severe consequences for health. Scientists have studied quite well what happens to different parts body, if you deprive him of eight hours of sleep a day. Studies show that lack of sleep can cause a host of severe and fatal dangerous diseases from cancer to diabetes.

Here are some diseases that can develop due to lack of sleep.

1. Alzheimer's disease.

A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University in 2013 found that lack of sleep can both cause Alzheimer's disease and accelerate its course. This study was inspired by the results of a previous study, which showed that sleep is necessary for the brain to get rid of "brain waste"- debris deposits that can accumulate and lead to dementia.

In a study of 70 adult participants aged 53 to 91, the researchers found that those who complained about bad dream, tomography showed large quantity beta-amyloid deposits in the brain.

These so-called « sticky plaques» - feature Alzheimer's disease, so the researchers concluded that lack of sleep prevents the removal of such "brain waste" from the brain.

Source: Spira AP, Gamaldo AA, An Y, et al. Self-reported Sleep and β-Amyloid Deposition in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. JAMA Neurology . 2013 .

2. Obesity and diabetes.

The link between diabetes and poor sleep has long been known, but a recent University of Chicago study found that lack of sleep can cause obesity, which in turn leads to diabetes.

Considering that the level fatty acids in the blood can affect the metabolic rate and the ability of insulin to regulate blood sugar, scientists have studied the effect of lack of sleep on the accumulation of fatty acids.

After analyzing the sleep patterns of 19 men, the researchers found that those who slept just four hours a day three nights, from 4.00 to 9.00 there was observed elevated level fatty acids in the blood. This is 15-30% more than those who slept 8.5 hours every night.

In addition, it was found that an increased level of fatty acids was accompanied by an increase in the level of insulin resistance, which is also typical sign prediabetes. Those who slept normally showed no signs of obesity or prediabetes.

3. Cardiovascular diseases.

Heart disease has long been linked to sleep deprivation, but a new study presented at EuroHeartCare(annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology), found evidence of a clear correlation. After following 657 Russian men aged 25-64 for 14 years, researchers found that nearly two-thirds of heart attack survivors also suffered from sleep disturbances.

Moreover, in men who complained of poor sleep, the risk of myocardial infarction ( heart attack, at which the heart muscle dies) was 2.6 times higher, and stroke - 1.5 times higher.

4. Suicide.

It may come as a shock, but a 2014 study found an association between increased suicide rates among adults and lack of sleep, regardless of a history of depression.

In a 10-year study by Stanford medical university 420 middle-aged and older participants were studied. Unfortunately, 20 of them, who suffered from sleep disorders, committed suicide. Based on this, the researchers concluded that people who regularly experience difficulty sleeping are 1.4 times more likely to commit suicide.

Scientists call white men over 85 years of age a particularly vulnerable group in this regard. In their conclusions, the increase in suicide rates is explained by sleep deprivation due to age-related health complications and stress.

5. Ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis - inflammatory disease mucosal ulcers in the esophagus - as well as Crohn's disease can be caused by both sleep deprivation and excess sleep, according to a 2014 study.

Researchers at the Massachusetts State Hospital found that normal volume sleep is essential to fight inflammatory reactions digestive system, which are often the cause of the above two diseases.

Examining women who participated in the 1st (since 1976) and 2nd (since 1989) Nurses' Health Studies, scientists recorded an increase in the risk ulcerative colitis as the duration of sleep decreases to six hours or less.

On the other hand, an increase in risk was also observed with an increase in sleep duration over 9 hours, which suggests that the window to prevent inflammatory processes rather narrow, requiring a certain amount of sleep.

This reaction was found only in adult women, but the increased risk of ulcerative colitis due to lack of sleep did not depend on other factors: age, weight, smoking and alcohol consumption.

6. Prostate cancer.

2013 study published in the journal « Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention » found increased prevalence and severity of cancer prostate in patients with sleep disorders.

After following 2,425 Icelanders aged 67 to 96 for 3 to 7 years, the researchers found a 60 percent increased risk of prostate cancer in those who had difficulty sleeping. Those who had difficulty staying awake had twice the risk. Moreover, people with sleep disorders were more likely to have late stage prostate cancer.

Scientists suggest that this is due to melatonin (sleep regulation hormone). According to them, high level melatonin inhibits the formation of tumors, while low level melatonin, caused by an excess of artificial light (a known cause of sleep deprivation), is often associated with aggressive tumor growth. That's why it's so important to get enough sleep! Send this to anyone who hasn't figured it out yet!

Medical statistics is relentless - chronic lack of sleep is found everywhere - about 1/3 of the population of Russia suffer from this disease. The worst thing is that few people attach importance to this, although everyone knows that good health is impossible without quality rest.

The human body relaxes during sleep, disconnects from all the problems that have accumulated during the day. Periodic lack of sleep soon causes fatigue,. This should not be allowed, since frequent lack of sleep provokes irritability and a decrease in both physical and intellectual performance.

We all know that a person should sleep at least 8 hours a day. However, this rule may not be the same for everyone. For some, even seven hours is enough, for others, 9-10 hours are not enough to restore lost strength.

Elderly people, pregnant women, children, sick people need to sleep longer. In a word, each person can determine for himself how many hours he needs to rest.

An acute lack of sleep at night is sometimes expressed by gastrointestinal disorders - constipation or diarrhea, nausea.
Acute desire to lie down and sleep. However, due to severe overwork, it is impossible to fall asleep quickly, even with severe drowsiness.
Chronic lack of sleep creates headache, .
Absence of attention, lack of concentration, low efficiency, performance of daily duties becomes impossible.
Occasionally, faces, arms, legs, dark circles under the eyes may appear, the skin turns pale.
Positive emotions, good mood are absent for a long time, but there are nervousness, irritability.
Lack of sleep reduces appetite.
Severe cases of sleep deprivation are manifested by hallucinations, clouding of consciousness, poor coordination of movements.
When sleep deprivation slows down metabolic processes, which leads to despite proper diet nutrition.
Reduced immunity due to chronic lack of sleep. This provokes an exacerbation chronic diseases and the emergence of others.

The main reason for constant lack of sleep is the incorrect distribution of free time at home or at work.

It is quite understandable student lack of sleep during regular sessions.

Poor women do not notice how time flies due to the mass of household chores or many hours of communication with their girlfriends.

Lack of sleep can be the result of some serious illness, for example, but the percentage of such patients is much lower.

Men give themselves completely to work, in the evening they can help their wife care for babies - iron things or wash them. Then they are up to late night addicted to TV or computer games.

We can rephrase the familiar proverb “As one works, so he eats” in relation to sleep: “As one sleeps, so he works.” About how true this saying is, everyone can feel from their own experience.

If you didn’t manage to get a good night’s sleep the night before, everything falls out of your hands at work, thoughts in your head shy away somewhere, do not allow you to concentrate. A completely different thing happens to a person who has slept enough - he is full of energy and strength, his life potential and mood are at the height. For him there are no barriers in solving any problem.

Lack of sleep at night dulls the mind. Think for yourself, what can a sleepy patient think about? Just about how to get some sleep. The concentration of attention drops sharply, in order to perform ordinary actions, you have to make more effort.

In this case, many sometimes irreparable mistakes are made. It is almost impossible to decide or plan any difficult problems while in this state. Chronic sleep deprivation weakens memory. As a result, less and less events of the past day are remembered, and those that are remembered are not retained for long in memory.

Lack of sleep that breeds chronic fatigue, forms a fatal mood that promotes confrontation and overcoming imaginary obstacles environment. It is impossible to stay in this state for a long time - the psyche will not stand it, it will soon happen emotional disorder Or depression will come. Lack of sleep is a direct road to neurosis. Insomnia often causes the development of the so-called.

Some people think that best wrestling with sleep deprivation - going to bed earlier than usual. As practice has shown, this technique is not always useful, since an overloaded psyche is not able to instantly relax and before falling asleep you have to toss and turn in bed for a long, long time.

Others, after a hard working week, seek to sleep on the weekend. Moreover, in the morning hours on weekdays, they drink strong coffee in order to find a cheerful state. Such a measure does not bring good rest.

In fact, you can stop chronic sleep deprivation if you carefully follow the daily routine in this way:

stop nightly computer games or long hours of television viewing.

Stop thinking about work problems in the evenings in order to relax the brain and give it a quiet rest.

Try to get a good night's sleep. Forget about problems, entrust children to grandmother, postpone all projects for later, turn off all phones, monitor, TV.

Stick to a routine - go to bed and wake up at the same hours. Better go to bed before midnight.

Every day after dinner, do not fill your stomach with greasy, heavy food especially before bed. Forget about energy drinks - tea, coffee, etc.

Increase every day physical activity- more active movements that improve the blood supply to the organs and relieve insomnia.

It has been proven that good sex and a vivid orgasm relax before going to bed. This opportunity must be seized.

Remove from the bedroom flashing electronics, ticking clocks that are very annoying.

Doctors recommend daytime sleep to all sick, pregnant women.

Other measures to get to sleep faster and eliminate sleep deprivation

Drink warm whole milk with the addition of natural honey in the evenings.

Take slow walks before bed.

Ventilate the bedroom often, sleep with the window open.

Any physical exercise can be carried out at least two hours before a night's sleep.

People suffering from chronic sleep deprivation often complain about.

Conclusions: Today we learned what chronic sleep deprivation is, symptoms and treatment. Remember that proper sleep is extremely important for the functioning of the central nervous system. If without food a person can exist for 2-3 months, without water - up to 10 days, then without healthy sleep a person's life can end in 3-4 days. Fight sleep deprivation, keep your beauty and health for many years!

According to statistics, a person spends a third of his life in a dream. However, this is by no means a reason to consider night rest luxury and idleness. Good sleep is not a whim, but the most important component of a healthy lifestyle, because regular recovery is vital for our body and brain.

The benefits of a night's rest lie in the ability to replenish energy reserves, normalize the functioning of the nervous system and strengthen immunity, and in this regard, sleep is powerful prevention most various diseases. During sleep, a person recovers more quickly from illnesses, wounds and burns heal faster, and the brain begins to think better analytically, finding answers to those tasks that could not be solved during the day.

Unfortunately, modern man not getting enough sleep. In conditions of constant employment, when all thoughts are aimed at achieving results and trying to get the most out of the available time, a person takes away the time he lacks from sleep, accustoming himself to sleep 4-5 hours a day. And such a rhythm of life seems to him quite normal. But few people realize that in the rhythm of daily lack of sleep, the body works with all its might, which can lead to the development of many serious illnesses. Moreover, apart from chronic sleep deprivation as a problem, a person gets used to dealing with increased fatigue and daytime sleepiness with a cup of coffee or strong tea without even thinking about going to the doctor and not trying to figure out the causes of the existing ailment.

If this situation drags on for months and years, lack of sleep becomes a huge problem for a person, leading to the development serious illnesses, including hypertension diabetes and even cancerous tumors. To see this, take a look at the consequences that this condition leads to.

10 terrible consequences of chronic sleep deprivation

1. Decreased memory

During sleep, the brain processes and systematizes the information received during the day, putting it into short-term memory. Moreover, depending on the phase of sleep, different processes of information processing take place, translating it into memories. If a person does not get enough sleep, these processes are disrupted, as a result of which he has problems with memory.

2. Violation of concentration and slow reaction

Each of us felt the relationship between memory and sleep. It is incredibly difficult for a sleepy person to analyze the necessary information, as he cannot concentrate and concentrate on the question. And this already speaks of a violation of concentration, without which a person often makes mistakes and is unable to solve even simple logical problems. But what is even more dangerous, chronic sleep deprivation significantly slows down the body's reaction. And this leads to an increase in emergencies on the roads and accidents at work. Moreover, as statistics show, accidents due to lack of sleep are most common for people under 25 years of age, who consider sleeping 5 hours a day the norm.

3. Impaired vision with constant lack of sleep

Neglecting full sleep, a person experiences constant overstrain, which invariably affects vision. This conclusion was reached by Japanese scientists who conducted a series of experiments and found that regular sleep deprivation can cause ischemic optic neuropathy. This severe vascular disease disrupts the nutrition of the optic nerve, resulting in a person developing glaucoma, which can later cause total loss vision. Thus, having noticed the first signs of visual impairment, first of all normalize sleep in order to prevent deterioration of the condition.

4. Mood depression

With constant lack of sleep, it is seriously depleted nervous system, and therefore it is not surprising that a sleepy person is often irritable and aggressive. This problem is especially relevant for adolescents, whose psyche is puberty extremely vulnerable. With a lack of sleep, noticeable changes occur in the brain of young people. In areas responsible for positive thinking, activity decreases, and in the areas regulating negative associations, on the contrary, it increases. All this leads to pessimism and an emotionally oppressed state, from which it is not far from depression and suicidal thoughts. By the way, statistics confirm that people with chronic sleep deprivation mental disorders observed 4 times more often.

5. Overweight

Many will be surprised, but excess weight and obesity are associated with lack of sleep. It would seem that the opposite is true - if we sleep less, then we move more and burn fat faster. In fact, in the absence of proper sleep in the body, the balance of hormones is disturbed, in particular, the synthesis of ghrelin, the so-called "hunger hormone", increases. With its accumulation in the body, a person experiences a constant feeling of hunger, which is not at all easy to eliminate. When an excess of the hormone cortisol is added to an excess of ghrelin, a person begins to “seize” his problems and invariably gain weight. If you do not understand the causes of this condition in a timely manner, you can get obesity, which will jeopardize the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, and significantly increase the risk of diabetes.

6. Decreased libido

This information should interest sexually active men and women. It turns out that chronic lack of sleep, accompanied by a lack of energy and overstrain, has the most negative effect on libido. Back in 2002, French doctors noted that sleep less than 6 hours a day, as well as interrupted sleep in people suffering from sleep apnea, leads to a decrease in the level of testosterone in the blood, which is manifested by a gradually weakening sexual desire.

7. Premature aging

You can spend fabulous sums on cosmetical tools and procedures to prevent early aging, but without proper sleep, all attempts to prolong youth are simply useless. With a lack of rest, the body experiences chronic stress by increasing the synthesis of cortisol in the body. This hormone provokes an increase in the secretion of sebum, which causes early skin aging. Based on this, remember that if you sleep 8 hours a day, the level of cortisol decreases and returns to normal, giving the cells of the epidermis time to regenerate. Scientists also say that lack of sleep affects the aging of the body. According to studies, signs of aging in women aged 35-50 who sleep no more than 5 hours a day appear 2 times faster.

8. Increasing the number of diseases

A person who sleeps no more than 5 hours a day greatly weakens his immunity. Scientists from the University of Massachusetts found that with a lack of nighttime rest in the body, the number of cytokines, the protein compounds responsible for the strength of the immune system, is sharply reduced. Thus, if we regularly lack sleep, our body becomes powerless against disease-causing agents and is exposed to infectious diseases. However, this is not the worst. To date, it has been proven that chronic sleep deficiency is 7 times more likely to develop arterial hypertension and tachycardia, 5 times - heart failure, heart attack and stroke, and 3 times - diabetes. All this suggests that chronic sleep deprivation is a “silent killer” that destroys our body from the inside!

9. The occurrence of cancerous tumors

What could be even more dangerous? It turns out that chronic lack of sleep can lead to development oncological disease. The point is again in hormones, in particular, in the hormone melatonin, the production of which is disrupted with insufficient night rest. But this substance has antioxidant properties, due to which it suppresses the occurrence malignant tumors in organism. Thus, lack of sleep deprives us of important protection and increases the risk of developing cancer.

10. Reduced life expectancy

Finally, after lengthy studies, scientists came to the conclusion that sleep less than 7 hours a day reduces life expectancy by almost 10 years, while increasing mortality from all causes by 2 times! And if, in parallel with chronic lack of sleep, you constantly overeat, smoke and be exposed to numerous stresses, the result will turn out to be disastrous.

Clearly, chronic sleep deprivation is serious problem, which, without correction of the rest and sleep regimen, can cause irreparable damage, both physical and mental health. What can be done to prevent this?

How to normalize sleep

Here are a few simple tips that will help solve the problem of lack of sleep.

1. Be aware of the detrimental effects of lack of sleep, because otherwise all the other tips simply will not work.

2. Choose a suitable bedtime that will allow you to spend at least 7 hours in bed a night, and strictly adhere to this guideline.

3. At lunchtime or when you return home after work, try to avoid long naps (no more than 30 minutes), as in this case you simply won’t be able to fall asleep at the appointed time.

4. Try not to overeat before going to bed, because in this case you risk tossing and turning in bed for a long time, trying to fall asleep.

5. Avoid coffee, strong tea and other tonic drinks that will interfere with relaxation and sleep. If it is difficult to drink such drinks, then it is better to drink them in the morning.

6. In the last hours before bed, try to avoid excessive physical activity which will also interfere with sleep.

7. Make sure that your bedroom has a good night's sleep, that it has sound insulation, heavy curtains to create twilight, no TV, computer and other items that interfere with rest. The temperature in the bedroom should be no more than 20 degrees, ideally from 16 to 19.

8. Provide access fresh air in the sleeping room, for this it is necessary to ventilate the bedroom for at least 15 minutes. It's better to sleep with the window open.

9. Walking in the evening before going to bed promotes relaxation and brings calm, saturates the body with oxygen, which also contributes to falling asleep faster and more sound sleep. Classes in the gym can not replace an evening walk.

10. Before going to bed, take warm bath, preferably with the addition of soothing herbs, and then drink a cup of tea with chamomile or mint, because these herbs perfectly relax and soothe, preparing the body for sleep.
Have a nice dream!