The terrible consequences of regular sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep - consequences, symptoms, what to do

The content of the article:

Sleep is the time when a person is in complete peace and balance. It is after a good rest in the morning that we feel cheerful and start our business with renewed vigor. It is known that a person spends a third of his life in a dream. This indicates the need for a night's rest for the full functioning of the whole organism.

The too active life rhythm of a modern person, the stresses that constantly surround us, affect not only the quality of sleep, but also its duration. After all, everyone knows that if you fall asleep too late and wake up early, this greatly affects both a person’s performance and his health.

We all have heard more than once about people who are workaholics or those who have to work at night. Oddly enough, such people soon get used to such a regimen, but in fact it has a very negative effect on their health. For example, the human brain suffers first of all, because with lack of sleep, it begins to “live its own life”, which does not go unnoticed and is expressed in the form of stress, depression, etc. All human organs and systems begin to suffer, since the brain is the main link in their healthy functioning.

In general, a person should sleep for at least 8 hours, but these figures may vary, since the character of a person plays a big role. For example, energetic and communicative people need only 6 hours of sleep and they feel cheerful. People of the melancholic type, who are inherent in such character traits as thoroughness and slowness, need a 9-hour night's rest.

What is the benefit of sleep?

We all know that sleep is very useful and necessary for us. But what actually happens during sleep with a person? It is known that a person grows in a dream. This is due to the fact that only at night the body produces growth hormone - serotonin. Another hormone is also produced - prolactin, which is responsible for the production of breast milk in lactating women. Probably, women of nursing babies noticed how much milk is secreted at night. In addition, night sleep is a time when all organs work at a slower pace, which gives them the opportunity to recover and work intensively during the day.

As for immunity, its protective functions also increase during sleep. Indeed, during this period, the body produces all the necessary substances in order to cope with an infection or virus. Therefore, even during a cold, sleep is the best medicine.

Consequences of lack of sleep

1. Excess weight. Sleep deprivation greatly affects metabolism. Therefore, its main cause is not only overweight, but also obesity. You can often see that people who work at night have problems with being overweight more often than those people who work during the day.
2. Disorders in the cardiovascular system. As a rule, a person who lacks sleep has an overly busy work schedule. That is why he does not have enough time for a good rest. But long-term work without rest exhausts a person, he may feel a headache, nausea, and if he does not sleep in the near future, this may result in fainting or, even worse, a heart attack or stroke.
3. Deterioration of the skin. Lack of sleep reduces the production of the hormone melatonin in the body. As a result, the skin becomes dry, rashes, wrinkles and bags under the eyes appear. Therefore, in order to maintain youthful skin, it is very important to get enough sleep.
4. Lack of sleep negatively affects the reproductive system, both women and men. Everything leads to stress, as a result of which men experience a decrease in libido and a decrease in potency. In women, this primarily affects the mood on which her sexual desire depends.
5. Inadequate sleep can lead to such a serious illness as diabetes. After all, many experiments have been carried out, during which it turned out that regular lack of sleep significantly exceeds the level of glucose in the blood.
6. A person who does not sleep regularly at night becomes lethargic and inattentive. In addition, the time of drowsiness and wakefulness is reversed for him. This can be the cause of serious mistakes in the workplace. For example, there are cases when, after night duty, medical workers made big mistakes, which sometimes led to death. Therefore, after a night's work, a person must definitely rest in order to restore strength.
7. Lack of sleep or sleep disturbance can also, in rare cases, lead to to hallucinations. After all, if a person has little rest, it affects his brain, as a result, he perceives constant stress and the stage of wakefulness as a malfunction. That is why various disorders in thinking and memory can occur, up to amnesia.

What to do in order to get enough sleep?

1. The quality of sleep is affected by what we eat throughout the day. It is advisable not to accustom yourself to eat dry food, and not be too lazy and cook yourself a full meal. After all, if the body receives nutrients, it will have more energy. Also very often the cause of lack of sleep is the intake of too much heavy food. The body, instead of resting, must spend strength and energy to process food. No wonder they say that you can’t eat after 18.00, because this applies not only to the figure, but also to health in general.
2. Also, don't drink a lot of fluids before bed. This may be the reason why you are tossing and turning all night.
3. It’s good if you take a little walk in the fresh air before going to bed. As you know, fresh air has a good effect on sleep, and in the morning you will feel full of energy.
4. Do not watch movies or read books before going to bed that will cause strong emotional stress or fear. On the contrary, you can watch a funny movie or listen to relaxing music. As you know, there is a special set of melodies that have a positive effect on human sleep.
5. If you still have urgent business that you plan to finish at night, give up this idea. It is best to go to bed early, and in the morning with renewed vigor to start these things.
6. The place where you rest is very important. For example, a pillow, a mattress, and even soft linen should be of high quality.
7. The quality of sleep and its duration is strongly influenced by air temperature. In the bedroom, it should not be more than +18 degrees.

One of the most devastating effects of lack of sleep in this video:

Lack of sleep in society is so common that it is considered the norm. However, this does not reduce the negative impact of sleep deprivation on each person. It is worth checking whether lack of sleep is present in your life, thinking about its consequences and taking the necessary measures.

The lack of night rest is not always obvious for three reasons:

• it does not immediately manifest itself clearly, for example, falling asleep on the spot;
• in this state, a person’s perception of reality is dulled and it can be difficult to assess oneself from the outside;
• often people live with lack of sleep for a long time and get used to this state.

Sleep deprivation symptoms include:

• fatigue;
• distraction;
• inattention;
• memory problems;
• inability to absorb new information;
• irritability;
• frequent ailments;
• weight gain.

Some habits and factors that are indicative of chronic sleep deprivation include:

• the need for an alarm clock in order to wake up on time;
• the habit of rearranging the alarm clock 5-10 minutes longer after it rang;
• in the afternoon, you constantly want to lie down, at least with your head on the table;
• drowsiness easily overcomes during boring lectures;
• irritates everything, even that which did not cause such emotions before;
• on weekends, it is easy to sleep until noon and even longer.

Those who forgot something for the third time in a week, leaving home, became offended more often and cannot remember what date it is, most likely, it is worth thinking about changes in their sleep schedule.

Violation of the laws established in nature is never beneficial. And lack of sleep also has its consequences. They can be divided into two categories: physiological and psychological.

Physiological Consequences

The appearance of excess weight

Some associate excess weight and lack of sleep only according to the formula “I went to bed earlier - I ate less,” but this is not the only thing. The brain perceives lack of sleep as hunger.

This is because sleep releases the hormone leptin, which makes you feel full. The less a person sleeps, the less this hormone is produced. Because of this, a feeling of hunger appears and cravings for the so-called fast carbohydrates, which are found in sweets, become aggravated. The use of sweets in large quantities contributes to obesity and the development of various diseases.

Frequent viral infections

Good sleep is one of the foundations of good immunity. The thing is that during sleep, lymphocyte cells are produced, which are responsible for fighting infections. Due to lack of sleep, there are fewer of them, the body's defenses are reduced, infections are taking over.

Cardiovascular diseases

Statistics show that among those who do not get enough sleep, the risk of stroke is higher than among people with full sleep. This is due to two reasons:

• a sleepy person is irritable, and this has an extremely bad effect on the state of blood vessels;
• bad eating habits develop, due to which the level of cholesterol in the blood rises - another step towards stroke and heart attack.

Microsleep

Almost all "nod off" after a sleepless night. This is because, trying to save the situation, the brain enters the first stage of sleep. It can last from one to five minutes.

This state is unpleasant in itself, since microsleep does not give a feeling of cheerfulness, but disconnects from reality. If this happens while driving, the likelihood of a car accident increases significantly.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Woke up and already tired. There is no strength and desire to do even simple, familiar things. Such a symptom often manifests itself in conjunction with others - for example, with infections. This happens because the body does not have time to recover.

Exacerbation of chronic diseases

It would seem that there is no direct connection between sleep and diseases of the kidneys and liver, but since the body's forces are depleted, they are not left to fight diseases and maintain a good condition. Therefore, sometimes due to lack of sleep, strange sensations of vague pain in the back, joints or abdomen appear.

Acceleration of the aging process

If a sleepy person is said to look fresh, then those who do not rest much risk looking and feeling older than their years.

Firstly, if the body day by day goes beyond its resources and does not replenish them, then it wears out faster. Secondly, lack of sleep provokes a malfunction in the hormonal system and the production of collagen, which is responsible for skin elasticity, decreases. It becomes more flabby and wrinkled, which is by no means younger.

Deterioration of coordination of movements

A sleepy person in terms of reaction speed is on the same level as a drunk person.

Psychological consequences

Irritability

If a person does not get enough rest, the activity of the parts of the brain responsible for emotions more than doubles. This means that the reaction to everything around becomes more painful than usual.

Touchiness

This consequence follows from the previous one. If sleep deprivation becomes chronic, then the habit of getting upset over little things can become a character trait.

Apathy

When there is no strength, you don’t want to take on anything, start new things or finish old ones. Moreover, lack of sleep distorts the view of the reality of what is happening and everything appears in a gloomy light. The last thing you want to do in this state is to do something.

Depression

All these effects gradually add up to one. Hormonal disruptions, irritability, apathy provoke depression: a clinical condition in which it is really hard to live.

Everything seems gray and bleak, even those things that used to give pleasure do not arouse interest.

Indirect consequences of lack of sleep

In addition to the main consequences of such a state, it is possible to single out indirect ones arising from them.

Decreased performance

This happens due to several factors:

• a lot of effort goes into overcoming apathy;
• you need to communicate with colleagues who are annoying;
• even the smallest things take more effort than usual.

Worsening relationships with people

When a person perceives everything acutely and at the same time feels tired, he wants to retire. People bore him even more. Even close ones seem like strangers.

Accidents and accidents

Lack of sleep alone does not kill, of course, if we are not talking about a long period. But if we are talking about chronic lack of sleep in small portions, then attentiveness, the ability to concentrate and the speed of reaction are reduced.

The consequences are easy to predict: accidents will lie in wait at every turn. And statistics confirm this: 2 out of 10 cases are the fault of a sleepy person.

It is worth thinking carefully before sacrificing sleep: performance drops, relationships with people deteriorate, the risk of an accident increases.

Watch a video that talks about these and other dangerous consequences of constant sleep deprivation:

How to deal with chronic sleep deprivation?

To defeat sleep deprivation, it is not enough just to sleep until lunch on the weekend. You need to establish a regular and full sleep. There are several steps leading to this:

Understanding the importance of adequate sleep

Changing something that has become chronic can be very difficult. Therefore, first of all, you need to understand what good these changes will bring and why they are worth doing. It may be a desire to feel better, to overcome an illness, or to establish a working rhythm of life.

Understanding what's stopping you from sleeping

Sometimes the reasons are obvious: an early rise to work or a restless baby. On the other hand, you can analyze what habits steal time for rest. Someone watches TV for a long time before going to bed, others endlessly scroll through the news feed on social networks or chat in instant messengers. Sometimes lack of sleep appears due to an uncomfortable place to sleep or overexcitation.

Getting rid of the cause of lack of sleep and finding ways to make up for the lack of sleep

Definitely worth giving up unimportant things in favor of sleep. Firstly, it is unlikely to make them as good on a sleepy head as on a fresh one. Secondly, the number of unpleasant consequences often outweighs the benefits of the case.

If it seems that five minutes on the Internet in the evening will not make a difference, it is worth remembering how expensive these five minutes are in the morning.

If the cause cannot be overcome, it is worth considering other ways. Some have developed the habit of sleeping at lunchtime. Sometimes fifteen minutes is enough to fully live until the evening.

It is unreasonable to think that coffee or other invigorating drinks are the solution to the problem. Often they only exacerbate the situation with chronic sleep deprivation.

Create a sleep schedule

You need to clearly determine for yourself what time to go to bed and what time to wake up. This regime must be followed on weekdays and weekends. Then it will be easier to fall asleep and wake up on time.

What time do you need to go to bed or wake up to feel alert during the day. The optimal time and possible duration of sleep will help to calculate

You may need to ask for help from family members so that they remind you of the time you need to go to bed and do not disturb after a certain hour. During the rest, you need to put the phone into sleep mode.

The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation can be physical and psychological, and they affect all areas of a person's life. To remedy the situation, you need to provide yourself with the necessary duration of a comfortable night's sleep.

The duration of sleep for an adult should be 7-8 hours. It is this time that the body needs for its full recovery. But how often a couple of hours are not enough to complete all the planned tasks. Naturally, this time is “stealed” at the expense of rest. The result is chronic sleep deprivation. What threatens the health of such a condition?

What is chronic sleep deprivation

Initially, let's figure out what condition can be attributed to this pathology. A person who does not get enough sleep every day for several days and even weeks suffers from a lack of sleep. But it's too early to talk about chronic pathology. Of course, he is faced with the first negative signs of this phenomenon. But chronic lack of sleep manifests itself in all its glory when a person limits his rest for several months.

Recently, a study was conducted at the University of Texas. It showed that residents who did not get the required amount of sleep for 7 consecutive nights had genetic changes. Such violations lead to the development of serious health problems. This disease is memory loss.

Therefore, people who sleep 6 hours a day, and sometimes less, should be aware of the serious risks they expose their body to.

Causes of constant lack of sleep

Insufficient night rest can be caused by both internal and external factors. Internal causes include a variety of psychological or physiological problems. And external are various circumstances that do not allow you to go to bed on time or fully relax.

Consider the most basic factors that most often lead to such a phenomenon as chronic lack of sleep.

Reasons for poor quality sleep:

1. Stress. This is the most common reason for inadequate rest. In the nature of insomnia, unpleasant memories, problems at work or in personal life, financial or other problems may lie. These factors lead to a decrease in the production of melatonin in the body. Instead, the synthesis of adrenaline increases. It is he who leads to overexcitation of the nervous system and provokes problems with falling asleep.
2. Mental illnesses. Sometimes insomnia is a symptom of various abnormalities. It can indicate the development in the body of psychosis, neurosis, manic disorder, prolonged depression.
3. Physiological ailments. Very often they cause insomnia in the elderly. Although not protected from such pathologies, even children. Diseases can worsen in the evening or at night. This interferes with fast sleep. Sometimes unpleasant symptoms make you wake up at night. Most often, chronic lack of sleep occurs against the background of the following diseases: diathesis, enuresis, angina pectoris, restless legs syndrome, hormonal failure, joint disease (arthrosis, arthritis), hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea.
4. Failure of biological rhythms. All human systems are arranged in such a way that in the period from approximately 8 to 10 pm, the processes occurring in the body begin to slow down. This causes the person to relax and fall asleep. If this moment is ignored for a long time and the person does not go to bed at the appointed time, then a violation of the biological rhythm occurs. As a result, a person tosses and turns in bed for a long time and cannot fall asleep.

Main symptoms

With chronic sleep deprivation, a person's condition is a bit like alcohol intoxication. Such a person is characterized by drowsiness, she may have hallucinations and even confusion.

Doctors consider this condition as a disease - a sleep disorder. The body is not able to fully recover. This leads to a number of negative violations. First of all, chronic lack of sleep affects the appearance, general condition and character of a person.

Symptoms affecting the nervous system:

• inattention;
• depression and apathy;
• irritability;
• increased emotionality (unreasonable tears or inappropriate laughter);
• inability to concentrate;
• cognitive impairment (thinking, speech, memory).

Signs of lack of sleep, reflected in appearance:

• swelling of the eyelids;
• redness of the whites of the eyes;
• pale or earthy skin color;
• the formation of dark circles under the eyes;
• rather untidy appearance.

Symptoms affecting body systems:

• dizziness, headache;
• deterioration of the functioning of the digestive tract (diarrhea, constipation);
• nausea, flatulence;
• exacerbation of chronic ailments;
• decreased immunity;
• susceptibility to colds.

What causes lack of sleep

This condition is quite dangerous. After all, the body can try to compensate for the lack of rest. In other words, a person can fall asleep at any moment, regardless of whether he is at work or driving.

However, this is not the only negative factor that chronic lack of sleep can lead to. The consequences of neglecting rest for a long time can be much more serious.

Doctors, carefully examining this condition, argue that chronic lack of sleep can provoke:

• stroke;
• obesity;
• diabetes;
• severe memory impairment (up to the loss of brain tissue);
• weakening of the immune system;
• the occurrence of heart disease;
• oncology of the breast or intestines;
• hypertensive crisis;
• chronic fatigue syndrome;
• occurrence of depression.

Now, knowing what chronic lack of sleep leads to, let's look at how to get rid of this condition.

1. Choose a mattress with medium firmness.
2. Use a low pillow.
3. Underwear and bed linen should be made of natural fabrics.
4. Eliminate annoying factors (clock ticking, draft, flashing electronic sensor).
5. Avoid watching movies or reading negative books before bed.
6. For 3-4 hours before the rest, give up caffeinated products (energy, tea, coffee).
7. Do not eat heavy, fatty foods 2 hours before bed.
8. Go to bed no later than 10-11 pm.

Basic Treatments

If all the symptoms indicate that you have developed chronic sleep deprivation, what to do in such a situation? Initially, the cause of this condition should be eliminated.

In most cases, the following measures are sufficient to improve sleep quality:

1. Completely eliminate daytime sleep.
2. Try to move more during the day (walk, exercise).
3. Before rest, carry out procedures that can eliminate nervous tension (watching humorous films, calm music,
4. Be sure to ventilate the bedroom before going to bed.
5. Try to go to bed at the same time.
6. Do not use alcohol to fall asleep. It provides heavy and superficial rest.

If chronic sleep deprivation is based on psychological or physiological problems, then it is necessary to turn to professionals. Those people who do not have obvious causes of poor quality sleep should undergo a full examination.

Folk remedies

Do not ignore ancient recipes.

Falling asleep and proper rest can provide such means:

1. Peony tincture (10%). It is recommended to use it three times a day, 30 drops for 1 month.
2. Green tea with honey. It should be consumed daily, preferably at bedtime.
3. Warm milk with honey. This is another great tool that normalizes night sleep. It is recommended to drink 1 glass of the drink before bed.

If all of the above methods do not help you relax, you may need special medication. Therefore, consult a doctor who will select an adequate therapy.

How much does a person need to sleep during the day and what is chronic sleep deprivation? These questions have been of concern to physicians, psychologists, ordinary people and even the military since ancient times. Let's make an attempt to understand this issue and we.

The concept of sleep in antiquity

Almost all ancient civilizations treated dreams with sacred awe. For example, in ancient Egypt, it was believed that sleep is a message from the gods. Almost universally, there is a belief that sleep is a brief state, like death, when a person's soul flies away to unknown distances and sometimes may not return back.

However, in addition to such explanations, some ancient thinkers tried to give some scientific interpretation to this phenomenon and use the state of sleep to treat certain diseases. For example, Hippocrates, Galen, Aristotle tried to distinguish between dreams that excite illness and those that heal it.

How scientists explain the mechanism of falling asleep

Despite significant progress in the study of the structure and functions of the brain, the state of sleep is still an unsolved mystery for many serious researchers. Currently, there are quite a few theories as to why we sleep and why we need it. The only indisputable fact is that every person spends almost a third of his life in a state of sleep.

It is believed that during wakefulness in certain structures of the brain, substances are already beginning to be produced, due to the action of which sleep subsequently comes (for example, melatonin, serotonin and other completely unexplored substances).

In general, for the body, falling asleep is a signal to switch to a different mode of functioning and activity, a sign for starting many recovery processes and cleansing cells from various unnecessary substances.

For the nervous system, sleep also means processing and comprehending the information received during the day, analyzing and searching for a solution at a subconscious level.

Types of sleep

The process of sleep itself is heterogeneous in nature. During the observation of sleeping people, the researchers noted a certain cyclical nature of the ongoing processes: the presence of alternating periods of slow and fast sleep. In total, about 3-5 such cycles are observed during the night.

REM sleep

Scientists called fast sleep, during which the pupils of closed eyes move quickly, although the body is motionless and quite relaxed. The electroencephalogram recorded during this period will resemble that of a waking person.

REM sleep is considered the fifth phase of sleep and usually occurs 1-1.5 hours after falling asleep. A person sees beautiful and memorable dreams in this phase, and its duration is about 10 minutes.

Interestingly, REM sleep is most often observed in newborns (probably, they need it for the normal development of the nervous system), and over the years, its amount decreases significantly.

If a person is deprived of REM sleep, which some drugs do, then one form of chronic sleep deprivation may develop, when a person will feel overwhelmed and tired all day long.

slow sleep

Non-REM sleep takes a significantly longer amount of time in the sleep cycle compared to REM sleep. From the moment you fall asleep to the onset of REM sleep, it can last about 90 minutes.

On the electroencephalogram during this period, slow alpha waves are recorded, which are gradually replaced by theta waves. The heart rate slows down, pressure decreases, breathing becomes more rare.

In the end, the so-called delta sleep occurs, which is characterized by the presence of delta waves on the EEG. During this period of sleep, it is very difficult to wake a person, although it is in this phase that the phenomena of sleepwalking and nocturnal enuresis can be observed.

It is believed that during slow sleep, the main energy costs are replenished, and the brain sorts and processes the information necessary, in its opinion, for memorization.

What else happens to the body during the night

• Growth hormone is produced - somatotropin (not without reason they say that children grow in their sleep).
• Prolactin is synthesized - a hormone that ensures the secretion of milk by a nursing mother during the day.
• In those suffering from duodenal ulcer, during REM sleep, the level of hydrochloric acid secretion can increase 20 times, which provokes hungry night pains.
• Nocturnal angina attacks become more frequent during REM sleep.
• All body systems are restored.

How much sleep does a person need

More than one generation of researchers tried to answer this question. It is believed that the average adult needs 7-8 hours of good sleep, and 2 of which should fall before 12 am. In general, women need 1 hour more sleep than men.

However, the facts are indisputable that for some people a significantly smaller number of hours of sleep is sufficient, while for others even 10 hours of sleep is not enough.

The most important criterion for "sleeping" is that after waking up, a person should feel rested and alert. If the rise is accompanied by weakness, bad mood and poor health, then sleep is clearly not enough.

The activity of the thyroid gland plays a huge role in the overall need for sleep. So, with insufficient production of its hormones (hypothyroidism), pathological drowsiness begins to be observed.

Consequences and symptoms of lack of sleep

• Depression, decreased concentration, ability to concentrate and highlight the main thing.
• Loss of sense of humor, increased irritability.
• Hallucinations, lapses in thinking, occasional confusion.
• Drowsiness during wakefulness, loss of a sense of the reality of what is happening.
• Dizziness, headaches, periodic fainting.
• Reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to cancer and infectious diseases.
• Condition like .
• Increased risk of hypertensive crises, development of diabetes and diabetes.
• An increase in the number of serious errors by medical workers after night duty.
• A tendency to accumulate excess body weight (it is believed that if a person sleeps for 5 hours or less, then he runs the risk of gaining weight by 50 percent or more, since with chronic sleep deprivation, glucose is not utilized into muscle energy, but into fat).
• Development of insomnia, impotence.

Who or what is stealing the dream

The most common sleep thief of a modern person is a computer, telephone and TV. Oddly enough, a sedentary lifestyle also plays a very significant role in depriving a sufficient amount of sleep (with physical inactivity, it is very difficult for a person to fall asleep on time, and the need to be at work or classes forces you to wake up early - this is the amount of sleep that is reduced).

Late and heavy dinners, family quarrels in the evening, stimulant drinks, night shifts, overtime work can also steal precious hours of sleep.

Chronic sleep deprivation: how to deal with it

1. Normalize and put your lifestyle in order: try to go to bed no later than 22–23.00, and wake up 7–8 hours after falling asleep.
2. During the day, more physical activity.
3. Do not drink stimulant drinks, as well as alcohol, in the second half.
4. Quit smoking.
5. Use the bed only for sleeping.
6. On the eve of going to bed, take a short walk in the fresh air, forgive everyone (including yourself): let your emotions subside, passions settle down. Find at least 10 reasons to be grateful for this day. Take a warm bath, turn on quiet soothing music, and have a relaxing massage.

Well, if these measures do not help, seek help from a specialist.

Here is a small test that will help you determine if your body is getting enough sleep.

• When the alarm rings, do you move the hands to a later time and sleep on?
• Sometimes you don't hear the call at all?
• When you wake up, do you find it difficult to get out of bed?
• Dozing in transport, at lectures and meetings?
• Do you sleep longer than usual when you don't have to go to work?
• Lose your temper if your plans are ruined?
• A glass of alcohol - and you carry?
• Love to take a nap during the day?
• Acutely feel the fatigue that has accumulated over the week?

If you answered yes to at least 2 questions, you should reconsider your daily routine. Otherwise, it will lead to serious illness.

The content of the article:

Chronic sleep deprivation is a condition that develops when a person sleeps little or poorly for a long time. It is accompanied by a decrease in activity, constant fatigue and nervousness, as well as other unpleasant symptoms. At the same time, it should be noted that the causes of lack of sleep do not always lie in the too intense rhythm of life, in which there is very little time for sleep. Often the problem lies in certain physiological and / or psychological abnormalities. That is why it is so important if you experience the symptoms of chronic lack of sleep, to identify the cause in a timely manner and establish a healthy regimen, because the consequences of a constant lack of sleep can cause great harm to the body.

The main causes of chronic lack of sleep and fatigue

In most cases, the cause of chronic lack of sleep is, of course, the wrong mode. A large amount of work, household duties, the need to devote time to development, leisure and personal life lead to the fact that there is very little time left for sleep. However, this cause of lack of sleep is far from the only and not the most dangerous.

Let's look at other causes of chronic lack of sleep:

• Diseases of the nervous system. In case of problems with the nervous system caused by physiological and / or psychological disorders, the activity of the brain as a whole slows down, but a number of centers, on the contrary, are characterized by increased activity. This condition leads, among other things, to a poor quality of sleep, it is very restless and is accompanied by frequent and abrupt waking up. In this case, even if a person allocates 8-10 hours for sleep, he still feels tired and sleepy.
• Improper nutrition. Proper dinner determines not only the health of the digestive system, but also the quality of sleep. Firstly, of course, you can’t simply overeat, otherwise heaviness in the stomach will interfere with sleep. Secondly, you need to avoid caffeine-containing foods before bed, and these include not only drinks such as tea, coffee and cocoa, but also, for example, chocolate and many others.
• baby syndrome. This is a sleep disorder caused by a malfunction of the biological clock. In this case, a person feels very sleepy during the day, but at night it is difficult for him to fall asleep.
• Having bad habits. If you smoke and/or drink before bed, this, as well as the quality of dinner, can affect your ability to fall asleep and sleep deeply.
• Discomfort. Another reason that often causes lack of sleep is discomfort caused by one reason or another. Perhaps your husband snores or you suffer from some kind of illness accompanied by itching and / or pain. Of course, falling asleep in such conditions is very difficult, and the quality of sleep will also suffer.

Symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation

1. Bad mood, depression. First of all, lack of sleep will affect your emotional state. Moreover, the longer the period of time you will not get enough sleep, the worse his disorders will be. Initially, you may only suffer from a bad mood in the morning, then it will stretch throughout the day, smoothly flowing into permanent irritability, nervousness and depression.
2. distraction. Attention disorder is another major symptom of lack of sleep. Again, everything starts with innocent mistakes and hitches, and ends with a complete inability to concentrate. There is a constant absent-mindedness, a slowdown in reaction and brain activity. In critical situations, confusion, loss in space and time, and even hallucinations may occur.
3. Headache. Another typical feature of chronic sleep deprivation is chronic headaches and migraines, which are very difficult to control even with strong medications.
4. Fatigue. Of course, you will also feel constant physical fatigue - drowsiness, an eternal desire to sit down, and even better lie down - faithful companions of lack of sleep.
5. Deterioration of health. The first to suffer with a constant lack of sleep will be the cardiovascular system and the immune system. That is why, with lack of sleep, pressure can rise, and a cold becomes a more frequent “guest”. In addition, the skin will also suffer: circles under the eyes, puffiness, pallor of the skin are typical symptoms of lack of sleep.

As you can see, people who constantly experience lack of sleep literally “fall apart”, which makes chronic sleep deprivation a very insidious problem. A person looks bad and feels bad both physically and psychologically, is constantly absent-minded, works worse and copes worse with any other duties. That is why it is so important to identify the cause of lack of sleep in time and establish a regimen. After all, all these symptoms are just the beginning; in the long term, chronic lack of sleep leads to much more dangerous disorders in the body's activities.

How to deal with chronic sleep deprivation

Measures to combat the constant lack of sleep, as in the case of any other disease, are divided into various categories: lack of sleep can be eliminated by means of traditional and traditional medicine, it will also help to establish a correct daytime sleep and create special conditions for night rest.

The use of medicines

In these situations, sleeping pills with a calming effect are usually prescribed, and here are the most popular ones:

• Melaxen. The drug regulates the cycles of sleep and wakefulness, is a kind of sleep hormone. Its reception causes drowsiness and has a slight calming effect. The main advantage of the drug is that it is considered therapeutic, that is, you can count on good sleep even after you stop taking it. It is also important to note that the drug does not cause daytime drowsiness, does not affect concentration and attentiveness. Contraindications include: high cost, individual intolerance, the development of peripheral edema is also possible.
• Donormil. In fact, it is an antihistamine drug, but it is not used to treat allergies, but to treat insomnia. Advantages: causes severe drowsiness, acts quickly. Disadvantages: Daytime sleepiness, dry mouth, difficulty waking up. In addition, it is prohibited for people suffering from diseases of the respiratory system and kidneys.
• Novopassit. A well-known sedative that calms the nervous system to a greater extent than stimulates drowsiness. It is written out in the case when the problem with falling asleep is caused precisely by disturbing thoughts. The advantages of the drug are a quick effect and no need for long-term use, even a single dose has a highly beneficial effect on the nervous system. Disadvantages: drowsiness during the day, a feeling of depression with an overdose.
• Fitosedan. A mild sedative, a herbal collection of the best soothing herbs - motherwort, thyme, oregano, sweet clover, etc. The drug not only helps fight insomnia, but also has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. However, during pregnancy and lactation, its use is prohibited.
• Persen-forte. Complex drug - soothes and has a hypnotic effect. It has no serious contraindications, but does not have a quick effect. It should be borne in mind that with prolonged use, it can cause constipation.

Note! Although most of these drugs are available without a prescription, never prescribe them to yourself. Remember: only a competent doctor can prescribe the right treatment, which will not only solve the problem, but also will not cause harm.

Folk remedies for chronic lack of sleep

1. Herbal infusions. Taking calming teas in the evening is a great way to fall asleep faster. Perfect infusions of mint, oregano, hawthorn and wild rose. You can use one tool, you can use a combination of them. The broth is prepared in approximately the following proportions - a tablespoon of herbs per glass of boiling water, they need to be infused for 5-10 minutes.
2. Fitovanny. Herbal decoction can be taken not only inside, but also take baths with it. Oregano, rosemary, wormwood, linden are best suited for this. In this case, the scheme and proportions are as follows: 100 grams of herbs are poured with 3 liters of water, infused for 30-40 minutes, the broth is poured into a warm bath. It is advisable to take it no more than 20 minutes.
3. herbal pillow. If you smell soothing herbs throughout the night, you will sleep soundly. In this case, it is better to use special scented pillows. Of course, this can be done on your own, but the main thing is not to overdo it, the smell should not be too strong, it should only be slightly captured.

Massage and exercises against chronic lack of sleep

To massage the face, warm the skin of the face with light stroking movements, as when washing, then rub the point above the bridge of the nose, and then go to the eyebrows and temples - gently massage all areas from the bottom up.

Now let's move on to the neck - with gentle movements from top to bottom, massage it from the level of the area behind the earlobe to the collarbones.

There are also special relaxation exercises which are great to combine with massage. Here is one of them: inhale and tightly clench your hands into a fist, straining them to the shoulder joints, exhale and relax the muscles. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times - watch your inhalations and exhalations, they should be as deep as possible.

These routines work great and are sure to help you fall asleep, especially when combined, but in order to get rid of the problem of sleep deprivation once and for all, you also need to establish a healthy regimen.

Correct daily routine

However, one must understand that such an approach will very quickly demonstrate its inconsistency. Every day you will become less efficient and more irritable person. And sooner or later you will understand that sleep should be treated as the same responsible duty as doing work. The only trouble is that this awareness comes, as a rule, when its lack has already led to one or another negative and even irreversible consequences. We propose to establish a regime without waiting for such a sad development of events.

What steps should be taken? At least the following:

• Plan your day. Make it a rule to go to bed at the same time every day and have time to finish all your affairs before X hour. Very soon you will realize what is stealing precious minutes from you and what you need to give up in order to be as productive as possible and still get enough sleep.
• Don't go to bed after 00:00. There is such a thing as the value of sleep. The closer the clock hands are to the "zero" mark, the smaller it is. That is why if you fall asleep at eight in the evening and wake up at four in the morning, the body will rest much better than if you fall asleep at midnight and wake up at eight in the morning.
• Ventilate the bedroom. Sleep is better in a cool room. It is better to cover yourself with a warmer blanket, but keep the "brain" in the cold. The ideal temperature for sleeping is 18 degrees.
• Eat right. Avoid products containing caffeine, as well as overeating in general. Also avoid alcohol before bed. Some people claim that if they drink, they fall asleep better - this is true, but the quality of rest is reduced.
• Create an environment of peace. Before heading to bed, don't forget to turn off your router and put your phone on airplane mode (or turn it off altogether). Whatever one may say, the radiation of technology has a certain effect on us, and although scientists have not yet come to a conclusion what it is, it is unlikely that it has a beneficial effect on sleep.
• Sleep in the dark. The less light, the better the sleep - another interesting rule, the observance of which will help you get better sleep.

Consequences of chronic lack of sleep

What threatens chronic lack of sleep? As a minimum, the following consequences:

1. The cardiovascular system will become unstable - just imagine, the likelihood of a stroke increases 4 times with a regular lack of sleep, and this is a proven fact;
2. The work of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted;
3. The likelihood of developing diabetes will increase;
4. Immunity will decrease;
5. There will be a hormonal imbalance leading to a decrease in libido;
6. Joints will suffer - there is a high risk of developing joint fragility diseases, including osteoporosis.
7. The likelihood of developing oncological processes will double.

How to deal with chronic sleep deprivation - look at the video: