The terrible consequences of lack of sleep. What causes chronic sleep deprivation

Sleep is an integral part of a person's life, helping him to fully restore his strength after a hard day's work. Each of us, on average, should sleep 8 hours a day, and 2 of them should be daytime. But the crazy rhythm of life does not allow us to sleep as much as we should. Some, due to work or other life circumstances, are forced to sacrifice their sleep in order to solve problems and cope with some task in a timely manner. This is how lack of sleep arises, the dangers of which we will discuss in detail in this article.

Every third person living on planet Earth lacks sleep. This is evidenced by Canadian scientists who are conducting special studies on how a lack of healthy sleep affects a person's mental activity.

Researchers name several reasons why a person may not get enough sleep:

• prolonged communication on the phone or in social networks;
• prolonged viewing of a movie, TV show or some series on TV or via the Internet;
• playing computer games;
• caring for a small child;
• work and study;
• a disease that causes insomnia in a person;
• wrong way of life (night gatherings with friends or acquaintances in bars, restaurants and clubs);
• improper preparation for sleep - eating right before bedtime, drinks containing caffeine, poorly ventilated room, uncomfortable bed and pillow.

The reasons, as you can see, are banal and at the same time obvious. Each of us will surely recognize ourselves by becoming familiar with the factors that contribute to lack of sleep. It is in our power to get rid of them - for this we just need to review our work schedule and give up habits that, in fact, are the traps of our time.

Depriving ourselves of proper sleep, we set the wrong rhythm for our body:

• reduced immunity
• substances that fight viruses and infections are not released
• serotonin is not produced - the hormone of joy
• all internal organs begin to work slowly

Sleep deprivation symptoms

How to understand that you are not getting enough sleep. There are many symptoms that indicate that you are sorely lacking sleep in your life:

1. Waking up every morning, you still feel tired and sleepy. This state of mind accompanies you all day long.
2. Eyes from lack of sleep turn red, watery and begin to hurt badly. They burst blood vessels due to overwork.
3. Lack of sleep causes bruising under the eyes – bluish spots, indicating fatigue of your eyes and impaired blood circulation.
4. The skin of the face becomes pale.
5. A person from lack of sleep constantly has a headache from morning until evening, while she is constantly spinning, as a result of which a person can lose consciousness.
6. Some, due to the lack of proper sleep, may feel sick, because the digestive organs begin to work incorrectly.
7. The pressure from lack of sleep increases especially in those who suffer from vegetative-vascular dystonia.
8. The thought process develops more slowly, as a result of which efficiency and productivity decrease.
9. The person looks depressed, which makes him too irritable.
10. The body temperature may rise sharply from lack of sleep, there will be false symptoms of a cold, but the real reason will lie in the banal lack of proper sleep.

Some feel all or only some of the above symptoms of sleep deprivation only temporarily, while for others they become a painful lifestyle because the lack of sleep becomes chronic. Next, we will talk in detail about what it is, and how it is dangerous for human health and life.

Chronic sleep deprivation

One can speak of chronic sleep deprivation only when it becomes permanent. If you have not slept fully for a week, a month or several months, this is not yet a disease. Lack of sleep turns into an ailment when a person experiences the following:

• He behaves as if drunk - he has a confused mind, hallucinations appear, he does not know what he is saying, he can fall asleep on the go.
• Slow reaction and the same weak thought process. Everything happens for a person, as if in a fog, and he is completely unaware of this.
• People who have experienced chronic sleep deprivation work poorly, study poorly, constantly make mechanical mistakes, not because they don’t know something, but because their brain is not working properly. They have reduced concentration, they can not concentrate.
• Due to chronic lack of sleep, a person falls into depression, feels constant fatigue and drowsiness.

Chronic lack of sleep leads to dangerous consequences for life and health. We will list you the general consequences of lack of sleep, and also describe how it is specifically dangerous for women and men.

What threatens a person with lack of sleep?

Can a person die from lack of sleep? Of course not, because at least a few hours a day he still devotes time to sleep. However, due to lack of sleep, accidents can occur and fatal diseases will develop that will cause death.

We list you the main problems that can arise due to constant sleep deprivation:

1. There will be excess weight. Scientists conducted a study by observing women who slept less than 5 hours a night. They found that these women began to gain weight very quickly for this reason. After all, due to lack of sleep, the hormones ghrelin and leptin are not properly produced - they are responsible for saturating the body. A person is so hungry all the time that he constantly wants to eat.
2. A person ages faster because he does not properly produce melatonin, a hormone responsible for neutralizing the destructive effects of oxidative processes. Most of all, this consequence of lack of sleep affects women. If a lady goes to bed later than 2 a.m. (at this time the peak of melatonin production comes), then her skin will begin to fade quickly.
3. Lack of sleep increases the risk of colon cancer. The reason for this lies also in the improper production of melatonin. Evidence for this statement was presented to the world by American specialists from the Case Medical Center in 2011.
4. Those who sleep less than 6 hours a night are at risk of developing diabetes, even if they do not have a genetic predisposition to this disease. The fact is that due to insufficient sleep, fasting glucose is disturbed, as a result of which the body cannot regulate the level of sugar in the blood.

1. Those who sleep little are at increased risk of developing glaucoma, the most common cause of blindness. A person can quite suddenly, waking up one morning, go blind either in one eye or both at once. And if intracranial blood pressure also rises sharply, then optic nerve edema will occur, which will accompany blindness with severe pain and incurability.
2. The most terrible consequence of lack of sleep for men is a decline in men's health. Testosterone begins to be poorly produced in the blood, a man not only loses sexual desire and potency, but also begins to age much faster.
3. Due to lack of sleep, a person begins to become stupid. His level of intelligence decreases, he becomes distracted. Such people cannot qualify for career growth, because they become unable to think creatively and work effectively.
4. A person who does not get enough sleep is highly susceptible to depressive disorders. This is especially true of adolescents, whose psyche is just being formed.

Sleep deprivation: what to do?

If you are sleep deprived and you know it well, then it is time for you to take concrete measures to avoid all of the above consequences for your health. Here's what you can do yourself:

• Walk outdoors every day. It is especially useful to take a walk in the evening, shortly before going to bed.
• Try to eat right - eat only healthy food often and fractionally.
• Do not drink a lot of water and other liquids in the afternoon. This is especially true for drinks that tone up.
• Do not watch films before bed that can greatly impress you and affect your sleep.
• Try to go to bed at the same time every day so that you wake up at the same time - this is a very important moment for the functioning of internal organs.
• Buy quality bedding - you should be comfortable on your bed and pillow.
• Get rid of all bad habits, because they have a very negative effect on a person’s sleep.
• Do not forget that physical education is an important component of a healthy person's life. Go in for sports or at least run in the evenings or mornings.

Good sleep is the key to vivacity and good mood. Everything in our life depends on it, although some do not attach any importance to how much time they sleep per day. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, go to a neurologist or therapist. These doctors will tell you which drugs to drink to bring your sleep pattern back to normal.

Video: “Lack of sleep. The terrible consequences of lack of sleep

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 sleep deprivation, to identify the cause in time 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, the person feels very sleepy during the day, but it is difficult for him to fall asleep at night.
• 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 move on 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:

And how can you not sleep without knowing this? - you ask. However, most of the signs of sleep deprivation are much more subtle than falling face down on your plate at dinner. In addition, if you have made it a habit to save on sleep, you may not even remember what it is like to get enough sleep for real, to really be aware of everything that is happening around you, to work and live with maximum energy and dedication.

You are more likely to be sleep deprived if…

• You always need an alarm clock to wake up on time.
• You constantly rearrange your alarm clock in the morning.
• You have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.
• Feel sluggish in the afternoon.
• Get sleepy at formal meetings, lectures, or in warm rooms.
• You usually feel drowsy after a heavy meal or while driving.
• You need to sleep during the day in order to "survive" normally until the evening.
• Fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening.
• Sleep very long on weekends.
• Fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed.

While sleep deprivation may not seem like much of a problem, it has a wide range of negative effects that go far beyond normal daytime sleepiness.

Effects of insufficient sleep and chronic sleep deprivation

• Fatigue, lethargy and lack of motivation.
• Capriciousness and irritability.
• Decreased creativity and problem-solving skills.
• Inability to cope with stress.
• Reduced immunity, frequent colds and infections.
• Problems with concentration and memory.
• Weight gain.
• Impaired motor skills and increased risk of accidents.
• Difficulty in making decisions.
• Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.

According to the US National Institutes of Health, the average adult now sleeps less than 7 hours a night. In today's dynamic society, 6 or 7 hours of sleep may seem like the norm or even a luxury. In fact, this is a direct road to chronic sleep deprivation.

While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7.5 and 9 hours of sleep per night to be able to function really well. Children and teenagers need even more. And while our need for sleep decreases with age, older people still need at least 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep. Since older people often have trouble sleeping at night, daytime naps can help fill this gap.

Sleep needs and peak performance

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep that you can work with little to no yawning and the amount that your body can function optimally. Just because you can work with 7 hours of sleep a night doesn't mean you won't feel much better and get more done if you spend an extra hour or two in bed. If you get enough sleep, you will feel more energetic and focused throughout the day, from the moment you wake up until late at night. You will also do the same work faster and better, due to the higher speed of thought and better concentration.

Or maybe you're lucky?

Researchers from the University of California (San Francisco) have found that some people have a gene that allows them to live perfectly, giving only 6 hours of sleep a night. But such a gene is very rare - less than 3% of the population. For the other 97% of us, six hours is too little.

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 good 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 everyone "nods" 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 after 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 lack of sleep becomes chronic, then the habit of getting upset over small things can become a 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 at which 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.

With the modern pace of life, a full sleep for some people turns from a daily ritual into an unattainable dream. Constant rises on an alarm clock and departure to rest late at night lead to the fact that chronic lack of sleep develops. For some, such a lifestyle is a necessity, while others reduce the total duration of sleep for the sake of their hobbies. In both cases, lack of sleep is very dangerous for health and can lead to the development of serious diseases.

Definition

Chronic sleep deprivation is understood as a condition in which a person finds himself with a systematic lack of sleep or poor quality of rest. First, there is a decrease in activity, severe fatigue. At the next stage of the development of the disease comes constant irritability, soreness. If insomnia torments more than six months, chronic diseases worsen, general health deteriorates, productivity drops, reducing the quality of life.

Ignoring the problem for a long period of time leads to a decrease in immunity and disruption of the functions of various body systems. At the first signs of the development of chronic lack of sleep, it is necessary to find and eliminate the causes of this phenomenon.

The reasons

Traditionally, the main cause of sleep deprivation is considered to be an overly active lifestyle. In fact, the inability to plan time leads to constant fatigue. A person daily tries to perform a large amount of work, although one should divide duties by day and pay attention to all aspects of life. In addition, the lack of rest develops due to a number of other reasons.

• Diseases of the nervous system

An overexcited state of the central nervous system, formed as a result of psychological or physiological disorders, leads to increased activity and the inability to fall asleep. Even if a person manages to go to bed, his rest will be superficial, of poor quality.

• Improper nutrition

Timely intake of proper food has a positive effect on all body systems. If dinner takes place later than 4 hours before bedtime and contains meals that are difficult to digest, it will not be easy to fall asleep. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in many homes it is customary to wash down any meal with tea or coffee containing a large amount of caffeine, which completely “drives away” sleep.

• baby syndrome

Probably, every parent at least once noticed a malfunction of the biological clock in a child, when during the day increased sleepiness interferes with active games, and at night the baby finds it difficult to fall asleep. The same thing can happen to an adult.

• Bad habits

The use of alcohol, narcotic drugs and smoking have an exciting effect on the nervous system. Because of this, sleep does not come for a long time. Although there are cases when, in a state of strong alcohol intoxication, a person quickly falls asleep, however, his sleep is superficial, intermittent.

• Discomfort

It can be caused by the wrong microclimate, some diseases, lack of space, uncomfortable bed and other reasons. All this negatively affects the speed of falling asleep and the quality of rest.

That is, there are many reasons for the development of lack of sleep. The fight against the disease necessarily includes finding and getting rid of the source of poor sleep, and not just treating the symptoms.

Features of sleep deprivation in representatives of different sexes

The causes of sleep disturbance in men and women are usually different, as is the mechanism of the course of the disease. The fairer sex is more receptive emotionally, so their lack of sleep is often associated with some kind of psychological problems. Typically, such a malaise is characterized by a protracted course and complex treatment.

Men suffer from lack of sleep most often due to some external problems, such as difficulties at work or sudden changes in life. Interestingly, when a child appears in the house, lack of sleep usually develops in the father. The mother soon emotionally abstracts from the difficulties associated with the baby and adjusts her daily routine to the child's regimen.

Symptoms

• Signs of lack of sleep "obvious"

Lack of sleep is accompanied by redness of the eyeballs, swelling of the eyelids, blue circles under the eyes. Painful pallor and a sloppy appearance are faithful companions of lack of sleep.

• From the side of the nervous system

A person needs a good rest, since it is in the deep phase that the restoration of all body systems, including the nervous one, takes place. If the quality of sleep is low, a slow reaction, increased irritability, impulsive actions, and aggression will soon make themselves felt.

• Other symptoms

One of the first signs of a malfunction in the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is nausea from lack of sleep, which appears already on the 2-3rd day of lack of rest. Further, immunity decreases, vision deteriorates, chronic diseases become aggravated. More than 80% of patients with lack of sleep experience uncontrolled weight gain and premature aging.

If any symptoms are found, you should start self-treatment or consult a doctor.

Psychological consequences

From the point of view of psychology, an untidy appearance and constant drowsiness are not the worst consequences of lack of sleep. When destructive changes occur in the human nervous system, the brain suffers. Significantly worsens blood circulation in the frontal cortex, which leads to such negative reactions as:

• short-term memory loss;
• Inability to think logically;
• Frequent dizziness;
• Decreased concentration.

With a prolonged lack of sleep, serious mental disorders occur, which leads to the development of depression, neurosis, and attacks of aggression. Doctors advise such patients to treat themselves at home, not to drive a car, and not to perform professional duties that involve difficult or dangerous work.

Physiological Consequences

With a lack of rest, the body is exposed to severe stress, which causes hormonal failure. As a result, this leads to weight gain. Interestingly, kilograms are deposited, despite the fact that a person is sick from lack of sleep.

The paradox is explained simply - since the body works in a slow rhythm, the absorption of glucose falls. At the same time, increased production of the hormone of hunger forces you to often consume high-calorie foods. As a result, excess energy turns into body fat.

Due to constant stress, the pressure in the blood vessels increases. Pathologies of the cardiovascular system develop slowly, but do not manifest themselves until a critical moment. Hypertensive patients are in the zone of increased danger, since for them the probability of getting a stroke is much higher than for hypotensive patients or people with normal pressure.

Violation of normal blood flow leads to constant dizziness and even fainting due to oxygen and glucose starvation. The body temperature rises from lack of sleep, so a person confuses a lack of rest with a developing cold or flu, and begins the wrong treatment, which only aggravates the situation.

In medical practice, there is evidence that if a person does not sleep at all, then in 7-10 days he will die. Of course, the risk of mortality with systematic lack of sleep is lower than with complete lack of sleep, but it still exceeds the normal value by 300%.

Treatment

If lack of sleep has just begun to develop, then it is not necessary to consult a doctor, since the disease responds well to treatment. For this it is enough:

• Normalize the daily routine;
• Spend more time in the air to enrich the body with oxygen;
• Make your bed comfortable
• Exclude daytime sleep;
• Give up bad habits and switch to a healthy lifestyle.

But if the symptoms of the disease appear constantly, you need to learn how to treat chronic sleep deprivation. It is best to consult a general practitioner. After conducting a laboratory examination, he will clarify the specifics of the disease and will be able to redirect to a more qualified specialist in this problem. If you want to speed up the process, you can immediately make an appointment with a neurologist, since in most cases it is he who helps to cope with sleep disorders.

Experts identify several methods of dealing with lack of sleep:

• Medications

They can be represented by mild sleeping pills or powerful tranquilizers, which are prescribed depending on the level of complexity of the disease. Medications are prescribed if the basis of the disease lies in a nervous breakdown, emotional or psychological instability.

• Folk remedies

In difficult cases, they are used as auxiliary, and in simple ones - as the main means of treatment. Baths with relaxing herbs and light sedative teas allow you to normalize sleep phases and improve the quality of rest.

• Massage

It is necessary when there is a strong tightness of the muscular corset, especially in the neck and shoulders. The treatment course will allow you to relieve excess stress, relax. It is best to perform this procedure just before bedtime or a few hours before it.

Any drug therapy consists of an integrated approach, including the normalization of the daily regimen and the observance of sleep hygiene. Without these components, all additional measures will not bring results.

Possible Complications

Many people are unaware that lack of sleep leads to health problems. The effects of lack of sleep on the body can be varied.

• Decreased potency in men

Hormonal imbalance leads to a decrease in testosterone production by about 15%, which negatively affects sexual function and the quality of intimate life. Naturally, this leads to even greater psychological problems.

• Frequent illnesses

A general decrease in immunity makes the body unprotected against viruses and bacteria. As a result, a person begins to get sick often. If lack of sleep is associated with problems at work, then you need to remember that permanent sick leave is unlikely to have a positive effect on your career.

• Decreased vision

Overexertion of the optic nerve leads to its swelling. Intracranial pressure increases, destructive processes in the vessels are observed, which leads to a significant loss of visual acuity.

• Diabetes

Problems with the functioning of the digestive tract and the absorption of glucose increase the risk of developing diabetes. Particular caution should be observed in people with a predisposition to the disease.

• Reducing life expectancy

Statistics show that people who normalize their daily routine, as a rule, live longer than people with insomnia. At the same time, even sleeping pills do not help prolong life.

• Oncological diseases

During sleep, the body actively produces melatonin, which suppresses the production of cancer cells in certain organs. Lack of proper rest leads to a decrease in the production of melatonin and an increased risk of developing cancerous tumors.

These are the most common complications diagnosed in patients with chronic sleep deprivation. Knowing the dangers of lack of sleep, you can prevent the development of pathological processes and improve the quality of life by strictly following the correct daily routine.

Hide the traces of lack of sleep on the face in the best way will help a healthy sleep. To improve it, doctors advise:

• Temporarily introduce daytime rest lasting 1-1.5 hours into your daily routine;
• Refuse to use electronic equipment 1.5-2 hours before going to bed at night.

Regular physical activity, maintaining an optimal indoor climate, sufficient oxygen and following proper nutrition will also help improve the quality of sleep. All these measures will help prevent the development of lack of sleep or cure its initial stage in order to exclude serious complications and restore a high quality of life.

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