Lack of Sleep Makes You Forgetful<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSomething as \u201clittle\u201d as forgoing a few hours of sleep each night can have an effect as dangerous as gradually becoming more and more forgetful. See, during the night, sleep cycles work on consolidating your memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A brain event called \u201csharp wave ripples,\u201d which occurs mostly during the deepest <\/em>levels of sleep is responsible for this consolidation. When you aren\u2019t getting enough sleep, it isn\u2019t able to do that, and as a result, you won\u2019t be able to remember the things you experienced and learned earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYour Health Suffers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSoon enough, sleep deprivation leads to more than forgetting details and messing up at work. Your health will start to decline. You\u2019re at risk of diabetes, for one thing. And then it escalates into things like heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, and irregular heartbeat. You\u2019re also at risk of suffering from stroke and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It Causes Depression<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn a study that featured 10,000 people, those who suffered from insomnia are five <\/em>times as likely to develop depression as those who don\u2019t. Adding to that, insomnia is often found to be one of the first symptoms of depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn 2005, a Sleep in America poll found that people who had depression or anxiety were more likely to get less than six hours of sleep a night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, depression and insomnia work off each other. Lack of sleep triggers or makes symptoms of depression more intense while depression makes falling asleep a dreaded chore. On a bright note! When you treat one, it helps minimize the symptoms of the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lack of Sleep Makes You Age Faster<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nEver look at yourself in the mirror and find dark circles under your eyes? Puffy eyes, perhaps? Or your skin may look the opposite <\/em>of lively and refreshed. Chronic sleep loss may result in more than shadows under your eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re asleep, your body works on rejuvenating your skin as well. So, when you don\u2019t get enough sleep, your body gets stressed and releases unreasonably large amounts of the stress hormone, cortisol. If cortisol is released in excessive amounts, it can break down collagen, which is the protein that keeps your skin looking smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your body releases growth hormones when you\u2019re deeply asleep, in what\u2019s called \u201cslow-wave sleep\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, even your growth hormones, which are supposed to strengthen your bones and increase your muscle mass, are negatively impacted by lack of sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lack of Sleep Impairs Your Judgment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat if we told you that there comes a point when you\u2019re so sleep-deprived that you can\u2019t properly judge how impaired your judgment is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extreme sleep loss alters the way we interpret reality and its events. We eventually reach a point when we can\u2019t view a situation and react properly and reasonably. What\u2019s worse is that you get so used to sleep deprivation that it feels like the new norm, so you can\u2019t even tell how out of balance you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we get into the amazing effects of sleep, let\u2019s first discuss how we can \u201cunlock\u201d these benefits. How much sleep do you really need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eight hours is a nice average for what most people need. You need around seven to nine hours to function properly throughout the day. However, there is no amount of sleep that works for everyone the same. Some people need less <\/em>while others require more. <\/p>\n\n\n\nNow, once you figure out the adequate amount of sleep needed, here are the incredible effects of sleep. Here, the fact that sleep is just as important as exercising and eating healthy is a good <\/em>thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA Healthier Body<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA lack of sleep results in a mile-long list of health issues, as we\u2019ve already mentioned. Well, the right <\/em>amount of sleep can result in a plethora of benefits, including, but not limited to, having a healthier heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLet\u2019s say you\u2019re asleep right now. Your body is working on lowering your blood pressure to give your heart the rest it needs, as well as your blood vessels. So, if you don\u2019t sleep, your blood pressure isn\u2019t being as well regulated, which leads to heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sleep also works on preventing diabetes. When you don\u2019t sleep, or sleep badly, your body may change the way it processes glucose– which you need for energy and can lead to type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It Does Wonders for Your Mental Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA lack of sleep results in depression, stress, and anxiety, but consistent quality sleep can equally affect your mental wellbeing. In this case, it boosts it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting more than six hours of sleep a night is integral for waking up in a good mood. While you sleep, your brain processes your memories and emotions. And it needs enough time to do so. When you stop giving it that time, you start to experience more negative reactions and fewer positive emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n