Sleep Deprivation Effects

Are sleep deprivation effects causing havoc in your life? If you suffer from a sleeping disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea, chances are it's affecting you in more ways than you realize!

If your busy life means you're tempted to try to fit 24 hours worth of tasks into an 18 hour day, you're at risk of sleep deprivation.

Not surprisingly, you're also likely to be too stressed out to sleep well during the few hours that we actually manage to spend in bed, cutting down on your zzzz's even more.

None of this is good news!

The importance of a good nights' sleep

Although we're still and quiet while we sleep, our brains and bodies are still very active. Even though we're not aware of them, many biological and physiological processes take place while we're sleeping. These include :

• For adults, our bodies heal themselves during sleep, by producing growth hormones that repair damaged tissue or tissue that has degenerated. In children, this hormone promotes growth. In both it helps maintain optimum physical and mental development.


• Our immune system produces disease fighting cells during sleep, and as a result works more effectively


• During sleep, our brains 'catalogue' our waking experiences. It's when our brains organize and store memories and consolidate learning


• Rest allows certain parts of our brains to 'recharge' properly. Our emotional stability, as well as cognitive reasoning and motor skills all benefit from a good nights' sleep


• While we sleep, hormones that control our appetite are re-balanced. If they get 'out-of-whack', weight gain can occur. Other hormones that control/regulate various functions work similarly, helping to protect us from inflammation, disease and more.

From the above list, it's pretty clear why a night spent staring at the ceiling causes us problems the next day.

If you suffer from insomnia, particularly of the chronic variety, sleep deprivation effects put you at risk of experiencing a whole host of health problems.

What exactly are the effects of lack of sleep?

• You feel tired all the time, even if you think you've slept well. You tend to want to fall asleep during the day and feel hazy or 'out of it'


• Your memory is poor. You have difficulty recalling names, times, information and your thought process is haphazard


• You find it difficult, or impossible, to concentrate, and find yourself making poor decisions


• You seem overly emotional. You may have mood swings, feelings of anger, frustration or anxiety or stress. You may even feel depressed or lethargic


• You feel sleepy when driving, or experience unusual 'road rage'


• Your job performance is poor. You make mistakes, forget things and find it difficult to keep an emotional balance


• You keep having 'accidents'. Maybe a fender-bender or a 'ding' when parking, or you seem to 'knock into' things, or your hand-eye co-ordination is 'off'. This can show up at work, when driving, or playing sports etc.


• Your blood pressure is rising/high, your heart seems to pound, you gain a lot of weight, or you have signs of diabetes/high blood sugar levels


• You're always getting sick, catching every 'bug' that goes around the office/school

These are some of the most common sleep deprivation effects. If you feel that you may be suffering from a sleep disorder that is causing you to miss out on the benefits of your full 8 hours, you're not alone.

Research shows that one in three people will suffer from insomnia at some time during their life, and in the USA alone around 70 million people are sleep deprived - right now.

To learn more about this, check out my Insomnia Statistics page, and prepare to be surprised!

What do I do if I'm sleep deprived?

As you've seen above, sleep deprivation effects can be very wide ranging. They can also be very subtle. If you feel that you're not getting enough sleep, I'd recommend downloading this FREE report.... 'Sleep Report - The Worst Mistakes Insomniacs Make'.

If you aren't sure what is causing your sleep issues, check out these pages on my site for more information...

• Sleep Disorders


• Insomnia


• Sleep Apnea


• Restless Leg Syndrome


• Narcolepsy


• Causes of Extreme Fatigue

You could also take this quick Insomnia Quiz to help figure out where you're going wrong!

Sleep is NOT an option, it's a biological necessity, and if you're not getting enough, it's time to take charge.

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