This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Don’t Sleep Enough
The U.S. CDC estimates that between 50 and 70 million Americans have a wakefulness or sleep disorder of some kind or another. There are health issues, like snoring, that obstruct sleep, but often times, we just don't let ourselves get enough sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation recommend specific amounts of sleep based on age. Their recommendations are:
- Older adults, 65+ years: 7-8 hours
- Adults, 26-64 years: 7-9 hours
- Young adults, 18-25 years: 7-9 hours
- Teenagers, 14-17 years: 8-10 hours
- School-age children, 6-13 years: 9-11 hours
- Preschool children, 3-5 years: 10-13 hours
- Toddlers, 1-2 years: 11-14 hours
- Infants, 4-11 months: 12-15 hours
- Newborns, 0-3 months: 14-17 hours
So what happens when we deprive ourselves of adequate sleep?
We have problems thinking
Sleep deprivation leads to poor decision- making, weakened reasoning, slower problem- solving skills and slower reaction times, according to a study published by Experimental Brain Research.
Weight Gain
We are all aware of the relation between sleep deprivation and weight gain. A three-year-long study of over 21.000 adults showed that people who sleep less than five hours a night tend to gain more weight, and have an increased risk of obesity.
We get sick
Studies found that there is a direct link between lack of sleep and the immune system, as sleep deprivation makes the body more prone to diseases.
We harm our heart
A new study published in the European Heart Journal linked sleep deprivation to heart disease and increased stroke chances. It was found that lack of sleep hurts our heart physically.
We forget more easily
Some studies showed that the brain consolidates things during sleeping which makes us recall easier. When we don’t sleep enough, this task becomes harder.
Aging
A study showed that individuals between 30 and 50 who lacked proper sleep experienced the effects on their skin, as they had more wrinkles, fine lines, age spots and their skin’s elasticity was reduced.
Less sex
Men with less than five hours of sleep had lower testosterone levels than their normal sleeping counterparts, as found by The Journal of the American Medical Association. Their appetite for sex was lower. Moreover, their sex hormone levels were reduced by 15%.
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