This Is What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Sleep

TheIndonesia.id - Stress and unhealthy lifestyles are often the cause of a person's sleep deprivation. In fact, having enough sleep is equivalent to other basic needs, such as eating and breathing. Sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on health.

During sleep, the body will repair itself, both physically and mentally, so that we feel refreshed and energized when we wake up and are ready for activities.

In addition, sleep also helps the process of growth and development, especially in children and adolescents because growth hormones are produced during sleep.

Things That Can Happen with Lack of Sleep

Everyone's sleep needs are not the same. However, the body generally requires 7-9 hours of quality sleep each day. Meanwhile, children and adolescents need more sleep, which is around 8-10 hours every day.

Sleep needs that are not fulfilled can cause you to look tired, your body feels weak, yawn all day, and have difficulty concentrating. Quoting Alodokter, the following are some conditions that can occur if you are often sleep deprived:

1. Insomnia and cardiovascular disease

Lack of sleep can cause various serious diseases. One of them is insomnia. Insomnia is a condition that causes a person to have difficulty falling asleep or not be able to sleep well.

If left untreated, insomnia can increase the risk of heart disease, either in the form of heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias), heart failure, or heart attacks.

This can happen because sleep plays an important role in maintaining the body's ability to repair damage to blood vessels and the heart. This is why, people who lack sleep are more susceptible to heart disease.

In addition, people with insomnia are also at a higher risk of suffering from diabetes, obesity, stroke, cancer, to mental health problems such as mood and anxiety disorders.

2. It's easy to get sick and hard to heal

The immune system produces proteins called cytokines. This protein is needed by the body to fight infection, inflammation, and stress.

Cytokines will be released by the body when we fall asleep. Well, if you don't get enough sleep, the production of this protein will also decrease so that the ability of immune cells to fight infection will decrease and hinder the healing process.

3. Decreased sex performance

A study revealed that men and women who are sleep-deprived will experience a decreased desire for sexual intercourse and have lower levels of sexual satisfaction.

This is generally influenced by fatigue, sleepiness, and stress that occurs due to lack of sleep. For men who suffer from sleep apnea, this condition can affect testosterone levels in the body, which can cause erectile dysfunction problems.

4. Memory decreases

During sleep, the brain actually works to store things that have been learned and experienced throughout the day in the short-term memory system. During sleep, the neural connections that support one's memory are strengthened.

If sleep time is disturbed, the brain's ability to process and store memories will also be disrupted. A study also shows that lack of sleep can result in a decrease in the brain's ability to think and process information.

Drowsiness that arises due to lack of sleep can also be one of the reasons people easily forget and lose their ability to concentrate and make decisions.

5. The appearance of signs of premature aging

When you don't get enough sleep, your skin will look pale and your eyes will look puffy. In the long term, lack of sleep can trigger various signs of premature aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, or crow's feet around the eyes.

Not only that, but a study also revealed that lack of sleep can increase the risk of acne. This condition occurs due to increased production of the hormone cortisol.

In addition to causing various health problems above, lack of sleep is also the cause of the high number of traffic accidents and work accidents. Therefore, the impact of sleep deprivation on health and safety cannot be underestimated. Lack of sleep also often causes headaches, both on the left, right, or all over the head.

If you experience sleep deprivation or experience symptoms of difficulty sleeping, you should consult a doctor to get a further examination and appropriate treatment.