Signs of Sleep Deprivation

Signs of sleep deprivation include an impaired ability to think clearly, handle stress, and difficulty keeping emotions in check. Sleep deprivation can have a serious effect on your day-to-day functioning and mood. In fact, sleep deprivation also causes imbalances in your immune system, which in turn makes you more prone to infections and disease.

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The brain is the most affected by sleep deprivation. All other physical problems associated with a lack of sleep are in some way connected to neurological effects of sleep deprivation.

Impaired concentration and memory are both clear signs of sleep deprivation. In addition, sleep deprivation affects the problem solving ability of the brain. Decision-making abilities become compromised, making it increasingly difficult to come up with new problem-solving ideas. When sleep deprived, people tend to rely on rigid thought patterns, which makes relatively simple problems challenging to solve creatively. Some other typical sleep deprivation symptoms include the following:

Irritability is nothing more than oversensitivity to stimuli. Irritable people are more sensitive to inputs from other people and the environment. Someone who is irritable will react more heavily to stress, negative comments, or arguments.

When sleep deprived, the brain is essentially too tired to process the information it is receiving effectively. The information eventually gets through, but the processing takes notably longer than in a person who is not sleep deprived. Most commonly, you notice your slower reaction times when in traffic. Although you might see a car in front of you running a red light, it takes some time until you gather yourself and step on the breaks. Slowed reflexes (and thus reaction time) are probably the most dangerous sign of sleep deprivation. Even a little sleep deprivation can still cause a measurable decrease in reaction time, which can prove to be fatal when getting behind the wheel.

Another relatively common symptom of sleep deprivation is less articulate speech. Words may be mispronounced or slurred together. Sentences may be incoherent and poorly structured. In addition, it might be difficult to find the right words or express exactly what was intended.

Over time, lack of sleep can play a paramount role in the development of depression. Often times, people who are depressed will also develop a sleep debt. This mean that sleep deprivation can play a role in both the cause, and further progression, of depression.

As sleep deprivation builds up, daily responsibilities can start to seem overwhelming. When your productivity suffers due to sleep deprivation, daily tasks at work and at home start to pile up. These amounting responsibilities and unresolved issues can lead to a sense of hopelessness and despair. When this reaches a critical point, depression sets in.

People who sleep less than five hours per night have approximately a 40 percent higher rate of heart attack than people who get eight hours of shut-eye. Sleep is imperative to good overall health, and there is definitely a link between sleep deprivation and cardiovascular health, although the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood.

When sleep deprived, the sympathetic nervous system becomes activated. This causes blood vessels to constrict, and blood pressure to go up. This could be one cause of the link determined between heart disease and sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation is also linked to a compromised regulation of blood sugar. When sleep deprived, you actually require more insulin to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Increased insulin levels and inadequate blood sugar regulation are large contributors to the development of vascular disease, which in turn can result in heart disease.

Although insomnia is an obvious cause for sleep deprivation, millions of people without this condition still suffer from a lack of rest. Even when going to bed on time, falling asleep and technically having a full night’s rest behind you, you may still show signs of sleep deprivation. This can happen when the quality of your sleep is not what it should be.

There can be many causes of sleep deprivation, it is important for you to find out what the cause is for your lack of rest. Only then, can you tackle the problem and enjoy an energized and productive day.

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