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You’ve likely found yourself grumpy, sluggish, and foggy the morning after a long night of tossing and turning. But consistently missing out on the sleep that your body needs can have much bigger health consequences than that.
The long-term effects from sleep deprivation can even put your physical health in real jeopardy, from aging your skin prematurely to increasing your risk of disease.
Your brain forms connections while you sleep to help you process and remember new information. If you’re not getting enough sleep, your short- and long-term memory could suffer. That means you might start having problems remembering what you’ve learned and experienced during the day.
Sleep is critical for thinking. You’ll notice that your problem-solving skills, concentration, and creativity suffer greatly when you are sleep deprived. It will also make it more difficult for you to learn efficiently. Basically, your brain just can’t function properly without rest.
Lack of sleep can make you emotional, moody, and irritable. But in the long-term, it can also make you really unhappy. Chronic sleep deprivation contributes to developing depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.
Sleep deprivation could be related to an increase in hunger and appetite, too. Some studies show a possible link between sleep and the peptides that regulate appetite, so when you don’t get enough rest, they get out of balance and stimulate appetite.
A lack of sleep will also show up on your skin, and it’s not just those puffy circles under your eyes after a long night. Not getting enough sleep causes your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol, and in excess amounts, it will break down skin collagen. Basically, it’ll make your skin lose elasticity and cause you to look older.
Lack of sleep often causes people to have a lower libido. The lower interest in sex is likely due to sleepiness, lack of energy, increased tension, irritability, and other changes in mood that stem from sleep deprivation.
Individuals sleeping less than five hours a night increase their risk for high blood pressure. It can also lead to higher levels of chemicals that are linked to inflammation. Both of these play roles in heart disease.
If you’re missing out on sleep, you could be affecting your body’s release of insulin. Sleep deprived individuals tend to have higher blood sugar levels, and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
