

Sleep Deprivation: 6 Reasons Why It’s Killing Your Body And Mind
Do you ever feel like you’re just too tired to function? Like no matter how much coffee you drink, you can’t seem to keep your eyes open?
If so, you’re not alone. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem in the modern world, and it’s taking a toll on our health. Here are six reasons why sleep deprivation is bad for your body and mind.
Sleep enough to lower the risk of;




Anxiety
Ever felt like you’re just not ready for the challenges of day after a night of bad sleep?
This lack of uncertainty about future obstacles, combined with the absolute mess your dopamine and serotonin systems will be in, is surely to evolve into a form of anxiety.
Obesity
Like many of us, I always thought your weight only depended on diet and exercise.
The truth is, a large majority of studies on this subject show there is a definite link between a lack of sleep and obesity in both children and adults.




Diabetes
If the weight gain wasn’t enough, lack of sleep is a well recognized risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes.
We need sleep to metabolize sugars and keep our insulin sensitivity in check.
“Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorder are neurobiologically intertwined.”
Allison G. Harvey, PhD
Depression
A staggering 90% of patients with depression are estimated to complain about sleep problems.
The problem is, you won’t know until it’s too late.
A study from Stanford School of Medicine has stated that more than 40% of people reported having issues with sleep before a mood disorder episode.




Short Temper
Remember that time when your phone still had 12% battery and it suddenly died a second later sending you into a cursing frenzy that puts a pirate to shame even though you were an arms reach from the charger…? Me too! And you’re not alone.
Results show that people are over 4 times more likely to be angered about a low stress situation when they haven’t been sleeping. And when the time calls for it, we can’t get as angry as we should.
(And) A Soft…. Member
No man is happy to admit it but… erectile dysfunction (ED) is out there.
Yes, it’s a sensitive subject but physical relationships are important. Without them, life as we know it, and the beauty that comes with it, would not be possible.
I think we can all agree that it puts pressure on our relationships and needs to be discussed.
The evidence coming from Harvard shows the link between sleep disorders and sexual dysfunction is so glaringly obvious that doctors consider it to be a major risk factor for ED.


Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. But, I highly recommend taking a look at the studies cited in the list below if you’re looking for more details on the few things covered in this journal entry (some might even make you fall asleep 😁).
As you can see, sleep deprivation does more than just make you feel exhausted the next day. It can have a serious effect on your physical and mental health, both in the short and long term.
So if you’re not getting enough sleep, take steps to change that.
Create a comforting space at home where you can relax before bed and make any adjustments you need to your routine in order to get enough restful sleep. Your mind and body will thank you for it!
Sources:
Harvey, A. G., Murray, G., Chandler, R. A., & Soehner, A. (2011). Sleep disturbance as transdiagnostic: consideration of neurobiological mechanisms. Clinical psychology review, 31(2), 225–235, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.003
Francesco P. Cappuccio, MD, FRCP, Frances M. Taggart, PhD, Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala, PhD, Andrew Currie, MB ChB, Ed Peile, FRCP, Saverio Stranges, MD, PhD, Michelle A. Miller, PhD, Meta-Analysis of Short Sleep Duration and Obesity in Children and Adults, Sleep, Volume 31, Issue 5, May 2008, Pages 619–626, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/31.5.619
Rains, Justin L, and Sushil K Jain. “Oxidative stress, insulin signaling, and diabetes.” Free radical biology & medicine vol. 50,5 (2011): 567-75, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.freeradbiomed.2010.12.006
Tsuno, N., Besset, A., & Ritchie, K. (2005). Sleep and depression. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 66(10), 1254–1269. https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v66n1008
Ohayon, M. M., & Roth, T. (2003). Place of chronic insomnia in the course of depressive and anxiety disorders. Journal of psychiatric research, 37(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3956(02)00052-3
Minkel, J. D., Banks, S., Htaik, O., Moreta, M. C., Jones, C. W., McGlinchey, E. L., Simpson, N. S., & Dinges, D. F. (2012). Sleep deprivation and stressors: evidence for elevated negative affect in response to mild stressors when sleep deprived. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 12(5), 1015–1020. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026871
Cho, J. W., & Duffy, J. F. (2019). Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Sexual Dysfunction. The world journal of men’s health, 37(3), 261–275. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.180045