Sleep loss can make us tired and cranky; there’s no doubt about that. But while the recommended amount of sleep for adults is between 7 to 9 hours per night, you’re certainly not alone if you often find yourself getting way less.
So what are the long-term implications of sleep loss? Unfortunately, being tired and cranky is just the tip of the iceberg. From low concentration levels to weight gain and even impacting your sex life, there are many reasons to hate sleep loss (and why it might be time to seek some natural sleep aids).
1. Brain fog
Ever feel like you can’t concentrate after a night of broken sleep? It’s not just common tiredness. Sleep deprivation has actually been found to impair our cognitive performance, including our verbal, visual and auditory functions. This makes many aspects of our everyday lives and jobs harder, as our senses are dull and feel ‘foggy’.
When your usual level of reading, speaking and hearing is compromised, it’s impossible for a restless mind to experience the same level of concentration as a well-rested one.
2. Sleep loss can cause accidents
In Australia, we’re all familiar with the slogan ‘stop, revive, survive’. And it’s a message we should certainly take seriously. In a Sleep Foundation study, it was found that sleeping 6 hours per night was associated with a 33% increased crash risk compared to sleeping 7 or 8 hours per night.
In fact, when compared with blood alcohol concentration, sleep deprivation was found to have the same or worse impact on driving. So if you’ve been experiencing difficulty falling asleep, think twice before getting behind the wheel.
3. The anxiety of a restless mind
If you’ve been struggling to fall asleep for an extended period or have had difficulty staying asleep, it’s not uncommon for this to cause anxiety come bedtime. Stress and sleep are closely interlinked, and the worry that you’re not getting enough or will be waking up all night can cause a vicious cycle.
Insomnia is highly prevalent in anxiety disorders, and sleep disturbance is considered the second most common symptom of mental distress. So a lack of sleep can heighten feelings of anxiety, the same as anxiety can trigger a lack of sleep in the first place.
4. The difficulty of falling asleep — even when you’re tired
If you’ve ever been around babies, you may have heard parents talk about their little one being ‘overtired’ and citing it as the reason they won’t sleep easily. Believe it or not, the exact same thing can happen to adults.
When you’re overtired, the feeling of sleepiness that precedes sleep is constant. And when we have to work or complete tasks throughout the day (when it’s not time to sleep), our body gets good at ignoring these signals. So when the time finally comes to wind down and get ready for bed, it’s not always recognised by the body because it’s previously been told to ‘ignore and stay alert’, hence the difficulty falling asleep.
If this happens to you, natural sleeping aids can help your body ease into sleepiness. Peaceful Sleep, for example, utilises the traditional Chinese herb Ziziphus and the Western herb Passionflower to promote body relaxation and support healthy sleeping patterns. Simply take two hours before bed, or as your healthcare professional advises.
5. Lack of sleep = lower sex drive
Sleep deprivation has been found to negatively impact the libido of both men and women. In a study of 296 subjects, 44% reported a weakened sex drive. The depletion of energy from sleepiness is largely to blame for the lack of arousal.
6. Health implications
A loss of sex drive isn’t the only health implication a lack of sleep can cause. If you constantly experience difficulty staying asleep, your chronic condition could put you at risk of:
- Stroke — A lack of sleep can increase blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for strokes.
- Heart disease — Over time, the higher stress levels you experience from a lack of sleep, combined with increased blood pressure, can be detrimental to your heart.
- Heart attack — For the same reasons, sleep apnea and insomnia have also been linked to heart attacks.
- Diabetes — Some researchers believe that poor sleep can contribute to high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and prediabetes.
7. The worry over sleep medication
When you’ve been experiencing difficulty falling asleep for a long time, the thought of speaking to your health professional and the potential of being put on medication can understandably exacerbate sleepless nights.
But as outlined above, it’s important to speak to a professional if you’re experiencing chronic sleep deprivation to avoid further health implications. Enquire about natural sleep aids, and you may be surprised to discover some of the methods available.
It’s not always tablets, either. The Ora Profound Sleep Oral Powder is available in the natural flavours of mixed berry & vanilla and can be mixed with water to drink a half hour before bed. Its powerful combination of gut-friendly Magnesium glycinate and sleep-promoting herbs aids in calming the mind, helping you to fall asleep easier and stay asleep for longer.
8. Weight gain
Not only can a lack of sleep leave you feeling too tired to exercise, but without necessary rest, the hormones that contribute to your appetite aren’t regulated overnight. What does this mean? You’ll feel like you need to eat more, even if you’re not actually hungry.
Plus, when you’re tired, you’re much more likely to reach for sugary treats and caffeinated drinks to keep your energy levels up. And once this begins to impact your weight, it can also worsen the difficulty of staying asleep. This is because weight gain can also impact our airways, waking us up due to breathing difficulty.
9. Depression
The tie between a lack of sleep and depression is strong. According to a study by the University of Bristol, 40% of young depressed adults also experience insomnia.
The two are closely intertwined, and the beginning of one can often be the cause of the other. Sleep disturbance and a restless mind are also among the common reasons depressed people first seek help. And on a positive note, getting treatment for lack of sleep can also help to improve the symptoms of depression.
10. Your skin can age faster
It’s not just puffy under-eyes we need to worry about when it comes to our skin and a lack of sleep. Our skin’s natural regeneration occurs overnight, working to repair damage and produce collagen for plump, clear and radiant skin.
Without sleep, not only does our face not get the time to recuperate that it needs, but our stress levels increase, which releases the body’s stress hormone cortisol. And when cortisol is present for extended periods, it breaks down skin collagen, which can lead to sagging, lacklustre and wrinkled skin.
11. Forgetfulness
A lack of sleep can also impair our memory recall and retention. It’s believed that sleep facilitates our mental recovery, which helps us to remember things as little as a conversation about picking up milk or as big as reviewing notes before a test.
The quality of our sleep is also said to have an effect, with the deepest level of sleep attributed to sending the ‘sharp wave ripples’ that allow us to retain information the best.
To learn more about lifestyle changes that can improve your wellbeing, check out our blog.
