With one in five Australians being affected by a major sleep disorder, it is now considered a major health issue in the country. Although we all lose sleep on some days due to stress, fatigue, and a whole lot of other factors, consistent sleep deprivation often leads to more serious health conditions in the long run. Here’s what happens to your body when you don’t get enough sleep:
- You’re at a higher risk for heart problems. According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, getting less than five hours of sleep or more than nine hours of sleep per night can harm your heart health. But if you consistently lack sleep, you put yourself at a higher risk for getting a stroke or developing coronary heart disease.
- You tend to have memory issues. Your brain benefits most when you get enough sleep because it has the opportunity to form connections that allow you to remember and process information easily. But when you lack sleep, you’ll start to notice that it’s harder to understand information and remember things.
- You easily get sick. Lack of sleep depletes your immune system’s ability to fight off illness. This means you can easily get sick if you don’t get enough shut-eye. A study even revealed the link between sleep and your immune system.
- You have a hard time concentrating. Sleep deprivation can mess up your brain’s ability to function. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll notice that it’s harder for you to be creative, solve problems, make decisions, and think straight. When this happens often, your lack of sleep will begin to affect your ability to perform daily activities at work and home.
- You have a higher risk for cancer. Lack of sleep is a contributing factor to a lot of other health conditions, including cancer. According to some studies, not getting enough shut-eye could increase your risk of getting breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.
- You’re moodier and emotional. This is a very common consequence of lack of sleep. When you’re deprived of rest, you easily get angry and emotional, and you might not even want to talk to anyone. If sleep deprivation continues, you could also experience anxiety and depression, which could escalate into serious mental health issues.
- Your sex drive diminishes. When you lack sleep, you also lose your interest in sex. According to a study, young men who didn’t get enough sleep over one week showed a significant decline in testosterone levels. It also revealed that sleeping for only five hours or less can reduce sex hormone levels by as much as 15%.
Sleep deprivation can be caused by several things. So, if you’re having a hard time getting some shut-eye, you could use some sleeping aids like Circadin to help you get that much-needed rest that will help you avoid these serious health consequences. If you are experiencing difficulty sleeping, consider speaking to your healthcare provider as they can help you understand the cause of these symptoms.