Severe lack of sleep. Consequences of sleep deprivation - what are they? Instructions on what to do. Folk remedies for chronic lack of sleep


No matter how you reassure yourself “I’ll get enough sleep on the weekend for the whole week,” it’s impossible to do this, alas, because the lack of sleep cannot be replenished. If the lack of nightly sleep within 24 hours can still be compensated, then the weekly norm is not. That is, it is almost impossible to make up for lost sleep. But in vain - for example, sleep-deprived animals die. Experts suggest that a similar result is inevitable for humans.

Sleep deprivation symptoms

Sleep is acute a vital necessity. Its absence leads to serious health problems. Of course, for each individual person, the symptoms of lack of sleep manifest themselves in their own way, but there are certain intersections that are characteristic of everyone.

External symptoms of lack of sleep

External symptoms of lack of sleep are, first of all, well-known to all dark circles under the eyes. They arise as a result of excessive overwork, not only due to prolonged sitting at the computer, but also many other life circumstances, which cause increased blood supply to the eye area. Overstrain caused by prolonged non-closure of the eyelids and the forced work of the pupils leads to overflow of blood vessels in this area, and thin skin and the absence of a fatty layer with the head give out a night spent without sleep. Lack of sleep also manifests itself externally in the form of a slight swelling of the face and loss of skin tone throughout the body. Among other things, unreasonable irritability arises, concentration decreases, absent-mindedness prevails.

Internal symptoms of lack of sleep

The internal manifestation of symptoms caused by lack of sleep is associated with the stress level of the whole organism.: these are, first of all, jumps in blood pressure, palpitations, loss of appetite, problems with the gastrointestinal tract (gastric and intestinal tracts). In addition, rational thinking is lost, which is why irrationality begins to prevail, which leads to even greater irritability and dissatisfaction with the situation. A person completely loses an adequate reaction to what is happening around. Is weakening protective function organism, there is a delayed reaction to external factors which causes poor performance. Gastritis, stomach ulcers and hypertension are the companions of those who are forced to stay awake for a long time.

Consequences of lack of sleep

The most important and well-known consequence of lack of sleep is deterioration. In total - and health, and well-being, and the work of the brain, and the quality of work. Also begin to overcome depressive states, unreasonable anger and sharply changeable mood. In addition to the above, lack of sleep translates into cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity. There are frequent dizziness conditions (dizziness), chronic fatigue, which is why the sleepy one feels like a squeezed lemon - deprived of any vitality and energy. As the results of experiments in the sleep laboratory from the University of California (USA) showed, after a 35-hour forced wakefulness, a person begins to react excessively and violently to the environment - even to the most trifling stimuli.

Another unpleasant consequence lack of sleep - obesity. According to statistics, everyone who sleeps less

  • 4 hours during the night are 74 percent more likely to become obese than people who get a normal 7- or 9-hour sleep;
  • 5 hours - at risk of gaining 50 percent more weight;
  • 6 hours - 23 percent more than all those who fill the need for sleep in full overnight.

Chronic lack of sleep

Chronic lack of sleep is fraught with the fact that over time, the desire to sleep disappears completely. Cause chronic lack of sleep lies in the complete imbalance of the NS self-healing mechanism ( nervous system). Serious difficulties begin with falling asleep, the quality of sleep is disturbed - it becomes intermittent and shallow (superficial). From this in the morning there is a feeling of complete weakness and headaches, but there is no trace of freshness and vigor. In addition, chronic lack of sleep is the cause of dangerous processes in male body- the level of the most important hormone for them (testosterone) is significantly reduced. And this entails other diseases - from a tendency to bone fractures to impotence.

How to deal with lack of sleep

It is known that there is an individual need for sleep, which varies from person to person. However, statistically normal sleep should last from 7 to 9 hours. But besides this, it also matters how a person prepares for bed and the atmosphere that he creates around himself at this time.

Peaceful environment. Even ahead of time, before going to bed, you need to slightly dim the light, making it less bright - this will tune the body to a sleepy environment. A quiet pleasant melody will also help.

Less technology. No need to sit at midnight in front of the TV or PC. In general, it is preferable to turn off all electrical appliances, including a computer and a laptop, which many people now leave in standby or sleep mode - even high-frequency sounds interfere with normal healthy sleep. The same applies to a cell phone - you need to take the phone to another room, and not put it next to you.

Comfortable bed. In particular, this applies to the pillow and mattress - they need to be selected individually. Right choice guarantees a healthy sleep and getting a charge of vivacity in the morning.

Fresh air. Airing the room before going to bed and walking on fresh air will help you get a restful and peaceful sleep. This is a hackneyed truth, but it plays one of the main roles in eliminating lack of sleep.

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The recommended sleep duration for an adult is 7-8 hours. This is how much time the body needs to recover. Chronic lack of sleep not only negatively affects the appearance, but also leads to a large number health problems.

Causes of chronic sleep deprivation

Factors that provoke problems with night rest and do not allow you to get enough sleep are divided into internal and external. To internal factors include various physiological or psychological problems. External causes poor sleep are all sorts of circumstances related to the environment surrounding a person.

Stress

Stressful circumstances (problems in personal life or at work, financial or creative crisis, bad memories from the past) are one of the most common reasons for a poor night's rest. Particularly affected are people with increased level suspiciousness that exaggerates the significance of negative events. It is common for a suspicious person to spend a lot of time thinking about and analyzing a problem, and, as a rule, they do this before going to bed. This leads to the fact that the production of the sleep hormone (melatonin) in the body decreases and the synthesis of adrenaline increases, which provokes overexcitation of the nervous system and problems with sleep.
It is possible to determine the fact that lack of sleep is provoked by stress by a number of factors:
  • fear that sleep will not come throughout the night;
  • nightmares, disturbing dreams;
  • superficial sleep;
  • for some time before sleep, a rapid heartbeat begins;
  • long process of falling asleep (more than half an hour).
Chronic sleep deprivation due to insomnia can be a symptom of various mental disorders. These include neurosis, psychosis, prolonged depression, manic disorders. There is even individual disease, in which a person does not sleep at night, because he is afraid of sleep. This disorder is called hypnophobia.

Unhealthy sleep due to deviations mental health has a number of characteristic features:

  • panic and anxiety before going to bed;
  • frequent waking up at night;
  • a short sleep (as a rule, a person wakes up between 3 and 5 a.m. and cannot fall asleep after that).


Physiological diseases

Various diseases of the body are common cause sleep problems in the elderly. The manifestations of many diseases are aggravated in the evening or at night, which makes it difficult to fall asleep and makes you wake up at night. There are also some pathologies that provoke chronic lack of sleep in people in middle age and in children.

Diseases that can cause chronic sleep deprivation include:

  • diathesis (itching on the skin) - in children under the age of one year;
  • () - most often in preschool children;
  • hormonal failure (lack or excess of one of the hormones) - in women during pregnancy and after childbirth, it is also common in women during menopause;
  • syndrome restless legs(involuntary movements of the legs before and during sleep) - in men and women aged 20 to 40 years;
  • angina pectoris (pain in the heart) - in people of middle and older age;
  • hypertension (high blood pressure) - most often affects people aged 40 to 60 years;
  • joint diseases (arthritis, arthrosis) - in people over 50 years old;
  • obstructive sleep apnea ( heavy snoring) is more common in the elderly and in those who are overweight.

Violation of biological rhythms

All body systems, including the nervous system, function in accordance with biological rhythms. That is, it is laid down by nature in such a way that in the period from about 20.00 to 22.00 all processes begin to slow down, the body and nervous system relax, and the person falls asleep. If, for a number of reasons, for some time a person does not go to bed at the appointed time, his biological rhythm is disturbed. Subsequently, already having the opportunity to fall asleep in the appropriate period, he begins to experience sleep problems that lead to chronic sleep deprivation.

To provoke a violation of biorhythms can:

  • frequent flights in different time zones;
  • night mode;
  • the birth and care of a child;
  • regular visits to nightlife.
A sign that sleep deprivation is provoked by jet lag is severe difficulty falling asleep and difficulty waking up.

Signs of chronic sleep deprivation


From the point of view of medicine, chronic sleep deprivation is considered as a disease (sleep disorder) that has a number of symptoms. Since the body does not get the opportunity to fully recover, a number of negative changes occur in it, which affect the appearance, character and general condition person.

Symptoms from the nervous system

Violations of the functionality of the nervous system is the very first symptom chronic sleep deprivation, since it is the nervous system that “suffers” most of all from the lack of night rest. As a rule, a disorder of the nervous system is manifested not by one, but by a number of signs that significantly reduce the quality of human life.

Dysfunction of the nervous system with lack of sleep is expressed in the following:

  • inattention;
  • inability to concentrate;
  • heightened emotionality ( inappropriate laughter or causeless tears);
  • apathy and depression;
  • cognitive decline (memory, speech, thinking).

With advanced forms of chronic lack of sleep, a fear of the onset of night can form, which causes the development of ritual behavior. This symptom is expressed in the fact that a person begins to take various measures that delay going to bed.


A person who suffers from sleep problems can be identified by a number of characteristic external features:
  • reddened whites of the eyes;
  • dark circles under the eyes;
  • swollen upper eyelids;
  • pale or earthy skin tone;
  • general untidy appearance.


Manifestations of lack of sleep on the part of other body systems

Chronic sleep deprivation is manifested by the following physiological symptoms:
  • headaches, dizziness;
  • nausea, excessive accumulation of gases;
  • dysfunction digestive system(constipation or diarrhea);
  • exacerbation chronic diseases;
  • decreased immunity, frequent colds.

Consequences of chronic sleep deprivation

The consequences of constant lack of sleep have a negative impact on the social, personal, professional sphere of human life.

The consequences of long-term sleep problems are:

  • relationship problems . Irritability and other character changes characteristic of lack of sleep lead to the fact that a person begins to fence himself off from others, becomes more withdrawn. This behavior negatively affects relationships with family members, friends, work colleagues.
  • Depression . The development of this disease is facilitated by the fact that with poor-quality sleep, the production of the hormone serotonin, which is responsible for positive emotions, slows down.
  • Professional difficulties . inattention, constant sleepiness, decreased performance, frequent delays - all these factors contribute to the fact that a person begins to have problems at work. Lack of sleep is especially dangerous for drivers, as poor sleep quality and associated fatigue are statistically a common cause of accidents.
  • Deterioration in appearance . During sleep, collagen is produced, which provides skin tone. With lack of sleep, the synthesis of this substance decreases, as a result of which wrinkles begin to appear, the oval of the face “floats”, the muscles become flabby. In men, the volume decreases muscle mass, since with lack of sleep, the production of the hormone somatostatin, which is responsible for muscle growth, decreases. In addition, poor quality night rest contributes to obesity.
  • Disorders of sexual life . Lack of energy and a weakened general tone lead to a decrease in libido ( sex drive). Also, men may have problems with potency.

Sleep hygiene rules

The concept of sleep hygiene includes a set of recommended measures aimed at normalizing night rest. Violation of one or more rules leads to the fact that the quality of sleep is reduced and chronic sleep deprivation develops.

To prevent this problem, read the rules of sleep hygiene:

  • a mattress of medium hardness (a hard mattress is recommended for osteochondrosis);
  • low pillow (for osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, you should choose a low pillow or sleep without it);
  • bed and underwear made of natural materials;
  • absence annoying factors(drafts, ticking clocks, flashing electronic sensors);
  • refusal to read or watch stories with negative content;
  • refusal to use products containing caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks) 3-4 hours before bedtime;
  • refusal of fatty and heavy foods (meat, confectionery) 2 hours before bedtime;
  • going to bed should be no later than 22:00-23:00 hours.
The main indicator that the cause of sleep deprivation is poor sleep hygiene is a poor-quality night's rest. In other words, a person may have no trouble falling asleep or waking up, but still wake up tired and lethargic.

Treating chronic sleep deprivation

Treatment of this disorder involves the elimination of the factors that provoke it. So, first of all, you should audit your bed and correct all the points that are contrary to the norms of sleep hygiene. If the cause of lack of sleep is physiological or psychological problems, you should contact specialized specialists.

Pass the medical examination should be in cases where there are no obvious reasons for you that could provoke chronic sleep deprivation.


There are a number of steps a person can take on their own to improve their sleep. It should be noted that all these actions are optional, since the primary task is to eliminate the root cause of poor sleep.

Take the following steps to improve your sleep:

  • give up daytime sleep, even if you feel too tired;
  • include more physical activity in your life (go in for sports, give up public transport stop using the elevator)
  • master several techniques for falling asleep quickly (fast eye movement method, blinking method, mattress immersion method);
  • do things before bed to help you get rid of nervous tension(relaxing bath, calm music, watching humorous stories);
  • ventilate the bedroom before going to bed; if the air is too dry, put a humidifier;
  • keep a sleep schedule and try to go to bed at the same time;
  • do not use alcohol to combat sleep deprivation, as it can contribute to fast falling asleep, but the dream will be superficial and heavy.

Folk remedies to improve sleep (video)

Ethnic medicine suggests using decoctions based on herbs that have a sedative (calming) effect to normalize sleep. Also, these plants can be used to prepare a special pillow for sleeping. For more information on which herbs will help with lack of sleep, see this video.


The cause of chronic sleep deprivation can be various factors- from an incorrectly chosen mattress to a latent serious illness. Therefore, if you experience regularly recurring sleep problems (for 1-2 weeks), you should determine the cause and take adequate measures to eliminate it.

Next article.

Almost everyone has experienced this in their life. Due to lack of sleep appears general weakness and many others unpleasant symptoms. Chronic sleep deprivation initial stage development is considered safe. However, with regular repetition similar condition may arise severe consequences in terms of health.

If sleep problems have been bothering you for several weeks, then there is no talk of a disease yet. A person begins to feel the disease in full after six months, when insomnia has already tortured. As scientists have proven, a person who suffers from a constant lack of sleep at night has some health problems.

The reasons

Before you start fighting insomnia, you first need to understand the causes of this condition.

They may be different for men and women. Nevertheless, such violations can occur under the influence of both external and internal factors.

In women and men

Studies have shown that women suffer more from insomnia, as they are more emotional and too receptive. Therefore, in the fair sex, psychological problems are the cause of sleep disturbance. Moreover, such disorders are of a long-term nature.

As shown medical practice, provocateurs of this phenomenon in women are: protracted stressful conditions, conflict situations, break with a spouse, pregnancy, childbirth, death of relatives and friends, significant changes in life. The psyche of a woman does not perceive such circumstances quite calmly, as a result of which chronic sleep deprivation may develop.

Violation restful sleep in the stronger sex, it can occur from both internal and external problems. Problems at work can be put at the top of the list. Most men try to realize themselves in society, so they perceive any failure painfully, as a result of which they become unable to sleep.

Often the representatives of the stronger sex after labor day continue to work overtime. Even in bed, their brain continues to solve work tasks. After such overwork, a person cannot have a good sleep. All changes in a man's life (marriage, the appearance of a child) are accompanied by stress, which leads to the development of insomnia.

Other causes of violation

There are several common factors, as a result of which sleep can be lost both in both sexes and in children. These are reasons that can be easily eliminated: not enough air in the room, uncomfortable sleeping bed, street noises, strong light. In addition, often sleep loss occurs after drinking coffee, alcoholic beverages, as well as a heavy dinner.

Chronic sleep deprivation can also develop if a person constantly suffers from physiological state or any disease. Insomnia can develop in such cases: frequent trips going to the toilet at night, snoring, joint pain, hypertension, overweight.

The human body works in its biological rhythm. If it is rebuilt, then the body fails: Bad mood, loss of appetite, insomnia. Often the biorhythm is disturbed in people who work at night, having fun in nightlife.

Symptoms of sleep deprivation: how chronic lack of rest manifests itself

Chronic sleep deficiency in medicine is assessed as a disease that has several of its characteristics. A person does not allow the body to fully recover, so this negatively affects its condition.

How chronic lack of rest manifests itself

  1. Symptoms from the nervous system. At night, during sleep, recovery work is activated in the human nervous system. With a lack of rest, symptoms will soon appear, foreshadowing the development of the disease. They manifest themselves in the form of lethargy, irritability, impulsivity, memory impairment, impaired coordination of movement. A person with an exhausted nervous system is capable of aggressive actions. With these symptoms, you should think about good rest for the body.
  2. Reflection on appearance. You have noticed more than once that after a sleepless night, all the symptoms of lack of sleep are “obvious”. A person who does not sleep has the following symptoms: redness of the eyes, blue under the eyes, swollen eyelids, pale skin, the appearance of a sick person. The result of chronic lack of sleep is overwork, which makes a person look sloppy.
  3. Reaction of other organ systems. From a systematic lack of sleep will soon begin to suffer internal organs and body systems, which will seriously affect general well-being. Sleep deprivation leads to a decrease in immunity, why man constantly suffering from various infections. Overt symptoms lack of sleep - blurred vision. With poor rest in people with hypertension, the condition is greatly aggravated. Having lost sleep, the patient begins to gain weight. The body is overworked permanent shortage sleep, early aging. As a result sleepless nights the following symptoms also appear: dizziness, headaches, malfunctions of the digestive organs, changes in body temperature.

Basic Treatments

Do not leave the symptoms of lack of sleep unattended, as this is fraught with the development serious illnesses. Treatment of this condition is better to start in a timely manner. To begin with, all measures should be taken in order to resume good sleep.

For this you need to follow the following recommendations: do not sleep during the day, walk more in the air, go in for sports, ventilate the bedroom at night, pay attention to sleep patterns. If these steps fail to improve proper sleep then you should contact the experts who can help you.

Which doctor to contact

You need to start with a therapist who will prescribe you special study. According to their results, the doctor will refer you to the right specialist. If the sleep disturbance is in the initial or mild stage, you can immediately go to the neurologist. Most likely, he will prescribe you a light sedative. With constant insomnia, it is better to visit a psychiatrist who will prescribe strong medications.

Depending on the stage of the disease, lack of sleep can be treated in different ways:

  1. Folk remedies . To normalize night sleep, in some cases it is sufficient to use folk recipes. Before going to bed, you can soak in the bath with warm water, diluted coniferous extract. This procedure will remove headache and calm the nerves. Drinks with chamomile, mint, lemon balm contribute to a relaxing holiday. BUT warm milk with the addition of honey, drunk at night, will provide you with a pleasant sleep.
  2. Massage and exercise. This method has a beneficial effect on sleep. A relaxing massage can be done not only by a professional, but also by relatives. special effect gives a massage to the neck and face. Exist special exercises aimed at relaxing the muscles. It is desirable to perform them in combination with massage. These treatments can help you get a good night's sleep.
  3. Application medical preparations . This treatment is used when the cause of insomnia is nervous disorders. Medicines can be prescribed for patients who do not sleep due to severe pain or itching. Sleeping drugs with a sedative effect include: Melaxen, Donormil, Novopassit, Fitosedan, Persen-forte. Most Data medicines can be bought at a pharmacy without a prescription. However, before taking them, it is better to consult a doctor in order not to harm yourself.
  4. Correct daily routine. A person should generally sleep for 7-9 hours. Nowadays, not everyone manages to take full advantage of such a vacation. A person is in a hurry to do a lot in life, therefore, first of all, he saves time on sleep. It is necessary to understand that the activity of such a person will become less effective over time, and the person himself will become irritable and insolvent. So don't wait so long negative consequences, and it is better to immediately establish a sleep mode.
  5. Sleep Hygiene Recommendations. For installation correct mode you need to go to bed at the same time. It is better to go to the bedroom no later than 00:00. The earlier you go to bed, the better you will rest even if you get up very early. Know that in a ventilated and cool bedroom, sleep is much more pleasant. Don't eat late, especially overeat. Avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol before bed. It is better to sleep in the dark, because in the light the sleep will not be of high quality.

The body needs sleep at night. Otherwise, he begins to forcefully demand it. As a result, a person can fall asleep in any inappropriate place, which can lead to terrible problems. About what threatens lack of sleep, you can often hear from participants in car accidents.

What other harm can it do?

  • Obesity. A person begins to gain weight after a week of lack of sleep. The body, experiencing stress in this case, begins to fight it in the form of fat accumulation.
  • Oncology. chronic insomnia can stimulate development cancer cells in the colon and other organs. This is due to the fact that with lack of sleep, the body produces little melatonin, which inhibits the development of cancer in some organs. For treatment oncological diseases, by the way, they began to use innovative drugs Nivolumab, Cymraz or Daunorubicin, which show very good therapeutic results.
  • Premature aging . How more people sleeps poorly, the faster he ages. As a result of hormonal changes in the body, the production of collagen and elastin decreases. These elements are responsible for the formation skin and its elasticity.
  • Elevated blood pressure. With a constant lack of sleep, a person develops hypertension. Even if you do not get enough sleep for one hour a day, the risk of increasing blood pressure increases by 37%.
  • Decreased life expectancy. bad dream can bring a person closer to an untimely death. Research results have shown that people who rested for 7 hours at night lived longer. At the same time, patients who took sleeping pills were on the risk list for early mortality.
  • Diabetes. After a lot of research, scientists have come to the conclusion that people who sleep less than 6 hours a night are more at risk of getting sick. diabetes(almost 3 times).
  • vision problems. Prolonged lack of sleep leads to swelling ophthalmic nerve. This condition often develops intracranial pressure, which affects the vessels of the nerve, and the person begins to lose sight.
  • Viral and cold diseases. Due to the constant lack of sleep, over time, a person begins to suffer the immune system. According to statistics, such people often suffer from infectious and colds.
  • Deterioration men's health . Even after one week of lack of sleep, in men, the amount of testosterone in the blood decreases by almost 15%. This negatively affects the quality of sex and other sexual functions.

As medical practice has shown, there are still many things that threaten lack of sleep. Almost any organs and systems can be affected. Often, when there is a lack of sleep, people begin to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, and hypertensive crises may occur. The appearance of severe pain in the head, can develop into a migraine.

How to compensate

To improve sleep, somnologists advise to rest at lunchtime, since it is at this time that a person loses his activity. This makes it possible to cheer up and activate the brain. Sleep deprivation can be compensated daytime sleep, but not more than 1.5 hours, otherwise the night's rest will suffer.

AT evening time you should not struggle with sleep by watching an interesting program on TV. Otherwise, you may get insomnia. Useful for improving sleep quality daytime engage in physical activity, ventilate the room well before going to bed, do not eat heavy food.

Lack of sleep negatively affects health. This is known to everyone. What is insomnia? This is a chronic lack of sleep, as a result of which a person does not have the opportunity to fully restore his strength in order to live a normal active life.

Prolonged insomnia, whether voluntary or involuntary, can lead to irreversible changes in the body. Of course, they do not occur immediately, but as a result of systematic chronic lack of sleep.

Achievements and records

For forty years now, there have been enough enthusiasts who, in practice, are trying to find out how long a person can live without sleep and what this is fraught with for physical and mental health. To date, the Guinness Book of Records has an official record - 19 days without sleep (set by American Robert McDonalds).

Also known is the schoolboy Randy Gardner, who managed to stay awake for eleven days. Of particular interest is the fact that after that he slept for only fourteen hours, and not several days in a row, as it would be logical to assume. But no, 12-14 hours is just enough for human body to restore normal cycle changes in wakefulness and sleep.

There is also an unconfirmed record - 28 days without sleep, but what does it mean in comparison with the ability of individuals not to sleep all their lives. Yes, there are such people. It is noteworthy that they have normal health and in all other respects they live the same life as we, "sleepers". But this is rather a deviation from the general norms.

But ordinary people, workaholics, students, young parents and other people suffering from chronic sleep deprivation experience tremendous overload during their night vigils. Here we will talk about them now.

The causes of insomnia can be very different, but the reaction to lack of sleep in most people is about the same.

What happens if you don't sleep?

  • The first two days without sleep chemical processes in the body they take precedence over the psyche, but the surrounding people do not yet see this. Of course, a person feels very tired and irritable;
  • Consciousness begins to get confused due to a change hormonal background and disruption of communication between brain neurons;
  • On the third or fifth day, hallucinations and paranoia begin, and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease appear;
  • After a week of lack of sleep, a person becomes a sick "old man" with trembling hands, confused speech and weakened intellectual abilities (up to ignorance of the multiplication table);
  • Then comes the denouement - either a person falls into a dream, or dies (it is rather difficult to name the exact dates, since each person is individual).

It should be noted that human brain has one interesting feature- superficial sleep, with which he copes with prolonged insomnia. In essence, light sleep is a partial shutdown of the brain for short span time (from a few seconds to several minutes). Moreover, at this time a person can talk, walk and perform other actions. Superficial sleep useful and may delay death as a result of insomnia, but will not save from it.

Interesting fact: according to NRMA statistics, one in six car accidents occurs as a result of severe fatigue drivers who fall asleep at the wheel.

What is the risk of chronic sleep deprivation?

Above, we described what will happen if you do not sleep for a long time. Fortunately, this issue is relevant for a small part of the population of our planet. But almost every one of us experiences a constant lack of sleep, lacking sleep every day for several hours.

Ordinary sleep deprivation calls out no less terrible symptoms They just show up over a long period of time.

If you do not sleep for one day, then a person's ability to mental work is reduced by 30%, if you do not sleep for two days - by 60%. And if for one week you sleep less than six hours a day (recall that the need for sleep is eight hours a day), then the brain will suffer as if it had not slept for two nights in a row.

With chronic lack of sleep, oxidative processes begin to occur in the brain, which negatively affect mental capacity and memory. The body ages faster, and the heart muscle wears out, as it does not have the opportunity to fully relax.

After 5-10 years of chronic lack of sleep, the human nervous system wears out, and every day it becomes more and more difficult for him to fall asleep. In addition, the immune system begins to fail, because due to a short sleep, an insufficient number of T-lymphocytes that can resist bacteria and viruses are activated. In addition to bad physical condition the psyche also joins, as the person becomes more grumpy and irritable.

From this, the following conclusions should be drawn: it is never worth raping your body, despite the lack of time, the requirements of the authorities and other factors. After all, nothing can restore human health.

Medical statistics is relentless - chronic lack of sleep is found everywhere - about 1/3 of the population of Russia suffer from this disease. Worst of all, few people attach importance to this, although everyone knows that full health impossible without quality rest.

The human body relaxes during sleep, disconnects from all the problems that have accumulated during the day. Periodic lack of sleep soon causes fatigue,. This should not be allowed, since frequent lack of sleep provokes irritability and a decrease in both physical and intellectual performance.

We all know that a person should sleep at least 8 hours a day. However, this rule may not be the same for everyone. For some, even seven hours is enough, for others, 9-10 hours are not enough to restore lost strength.

Elderly people, pregnant women, children, sick people need to sleep longer. In a word, each person can determine for himself how many hours he needs to rest.

  1. An acute lack of sleep at night is sometimes expressed by gastrointestinal disorders - constipation or diarrhea, nausea.
  2. Acute desire to lie down and sleep. However, due to severe overwork it is impossible to fall asleep quickly, even with the strongest drowsiness.
  3. A constant lack of sleep gives rise to a headache,.
  4. Absence of attention, lack of concentration, low efficiency, performance of daily duties becomes impossible.
  5. Occasionally, faces, arms, legs, dark circles under the eyes may appear, the skin turns pale.
  6. Positive emotions, good mood missing for a long time, but there is nervousness, irritability.
  7. Lack of sleep reduces appetite.
  8. Severe cases of sleep deprivation are manifested by hallucinations, clouding of consciousness, poor coordination of movements.
  9. When sleep deprivation slows down metabolic processes, which leads to despite proper diet nutrition.
  10. Reduced immunity due to chronic lack of sleep. This provokes an exacerbation of chronic diseases and the emergence of others.


The main reason for constant lack of sleep is the incorrect distribution of free time at home or at work.

It is quite understandable student lack of sleep during regular sessions.

Poor women do not notice how time flies due to the mass of household chores or many hours of communication with their girlfriends.

Lack of sleep can be the result of some serious illness, for example, but the percentage of such patients is much lower.

Men give themselves completely to work, in the evening they can help their wife care for babies - iron things or wash them. Then they are passionate about TV or computer games until late at night.


We can rephrase the familiar proverb “As one works, so he eats” in relation to sleep: “As one sleeps, so he works.” About how true this saying is, everyone can feel from their own experience.

If you didn’t manage to get a good night’s sleep the night before, everything falls out of your hands at work, thoughts in your head shy away somewhere, do not allow you to concentrate. A completely different thing happens to a person who has slept enough - he is full of energy and strength, his life potential and mood are at the height. For him there are no barriers in solving any problem.

Lack of sleep at night dulls the mind. Think for yourself, what can a sleepy patient think about? Just about how to get some sleep. The concentration of attention drops sharply, in order to perform ordinary actions, you have to make more effort.

In this case, many sometimes irreparable mistakes are made. It is almost impossible to solve or plan any complex problems while in this state. Chronic sleep deprivation weakens memory. As a result, less and less events of the past day are remembered, and those that are remembered are not retained for long in memory.

Lack of sleep that breeds chronic fatigue, forms a fatal mood that promotes confrontation and overcoming imaginary obstacles environment. It is impossible to stay in this state for a long time - the psyche will not stand it, it will soon happen emotional disorder Or depression will come. Lack of sleep is a direct road to neurosis. Insomnia often causes the development of the so-called.


Some people think that best wrestling with sleep deprivation - going to bed earlier than usual. As practice has shown, this technique is not always useful, since an overloaded psyche is not able to instantly relax and before falling asleep you have to toss and turn in bed for a long, long time.

Others after difficult working week tend to sleep on weekends. And in the morning hours on weekdays they drink strong coffee in order to be in good spirits. Such a measure does not bring good rest.

In fact, you can stop chronic sleep deprivation if you carefully follow the daily routine in this way:

stop nightly computer games or long hours of television viewing.

Stop thinking about work problems in the evenings in order to relax the brain and give it a quiet rest.

Try to get a good night's sleep. Forget about problems, entrust children to grandmother, postpone all projects for later, turn off all phones, monitor, TV.

Stick to a routine - go to bed and wake up at the same hours. Better go to bed before midnight.

Every day after dinner, do not fill your stomach with greasy, heavy food especially before bed. Forget about energy drinks - tea, coffee, etc.

Increase every day physical activity- more active movements, which improve the blood supply to organs and relieve insomnia.

It has been proven that good sex and a vivid orgasm relax before going to bed. This opportunity must be seized.

Remove from the bedroom flashing electronics, ticking clocks that are very annoying.

Doctors recommend daytime sleep to all sick, pregnant women.

Other measures to get to sleep faster and eliminate sleep deprivation

Drink warm in the evening whole milk with the addition of natural honey.

Take slow walks before bed.

Ventilate the bedroom often, sleep with the window open.

Any physical exercises can be carried out at least two hours before a night's sleep.

People suffering from chronic sleep deprivation often complain about.

Conclusions: Today we learned what chronic sleep deprivation is, symptoms and treatment. Remember that proper sleep is extremely important for the functioning of the central nervous system. If without food a person can exist for 2-3 months, without water - up to 10 days, then without healthy sleep a person's life can end in 3-4 days. Fight sleep deprivation, keep your beauty and health for many years!

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