Sleep is a natural process that helps your body restore energy, supports learning and memory, and keeps you healthy. While you are sleeping your brain and body functions are active
Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep.
Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake.
Quality sleep and getting enough of it at the right times is as essential to survival as food and water
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What is sleep deprivation ?
Sleep deprivation is a condition that occurs if you don’t get enough sleep. Sleep deficiency is a broader concept. It occurs if you have one or more of the following
It can lead to physical and mental health problems, injuries, loss of productivity, and even a greater likelihood of death.
Without sleep, you can’t form or maintain the pathways in your brain that let you learn and create new memories. Lack of sleep makes it harder to concentrate and respond quickly.
How much sleep do you need?
Your need for sleep and your sleep patterns change as you age, but this varies significantly across individuals of the same age. There is no magic amount of sleep that works for everybody of the same age.
- Babies (4-12 months): 12-16 hours a day
- Children (1-2 years): 11-14 hours a day
- Children (3-5 years): 10-13 hours a day
- Children (6-12 years): 9-12 hours a day
- Teens (13-18 years): 8-10 hours a day
- Adults (18 years and older): 7-9 hours a day
Some people think adults need less sleep as they age, but there is no evidence to support this. However, older adults often get less sleep or spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep. They also wake up more easily.
Negative effects of not getting enough sleep
Sleep is important for overall health. When you don’t get enough sleep which is called sleep deprivation. it does more than just make you feel tired. It can affect your ability to think clearly and straight, react quickly, and form memories. This increases your risk of making mistakes, taking risks, or getting into accidents.
It can affect areas of your life like your mood . When you don’t get your mood straight. It can lead to
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Issue with relationship with people
- Getting irritated
Sleep deprivation can affect your body system also . These are the body system it can be affected when you don’t get enough sleep
Nervous system
It can affect your system by having higher pain sensitivity when you don’t get enough sleep . Which means you will feel more pain and it will be too intense
Mental health
sleep deprivation can affect your mental health by making it harder to process and manage your emotion . Your emotional wave will not balance because of enough sleep your brain need
Immune systems
Your body’s natural defenses against infections can’t work properly if you aren’t getting enough sleep
circulatory systems
Sleep deprivation has long-term damaging effects on your heart and circulatory health. People with chronic sleep deprivation are more likely to develop high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Sleep deprivatiom can also affect your physical health. Not getting adequate sleep increases your risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Kidney disease
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetics
What are the symptoms of sleep deprivation ?
- Trouble thinking,
- Less focusing
- Slowed reaction times.
- Fatigue
- Impulsive behavior
Tips for getting good night sleep
- Avoid caffeine and nicotine late in the day and alcoholic drinks before bed.
- Relax before bed. Try a warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine.
- Avoid alcoholic drinks before bedtime
- Avoid large meals and drinks late at night
- Create a room for sleep. Avoid bright lights and loud sounds, keep the room at a comfortable temperature, and don’t watch TV or use a smartphone or computer in your bedroom.
- Set a schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
