Underestimating the need for proper sleep can result in devastating effects on your body. The physiological process of sleep enables your body to maintain its systems and functions. The impact of sleep deprivation goes beyond harming your body; it increases the risk of injuries and accidents, lowers your functioning levels and can depreciate your quality of life.
Read on to find out in what ways your health is negatively impacted due to long-term sleep deprivation.
Understanding Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation refers to a condition that your body undergoes as a consequence of not getting sufficient sleep. The concept of sleep deficiency is much broader, though, and is considered to occur if you are affected by one or more of these:
Sleep deprivation can cause negative health impacts on both short-term and long-term bases, impairing your everyday functioning.
What Amount of Sleep is Adequate?
While the amount of sleep you require depends on your individual needs and how old you are, it is generally recommended that you get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Age Group |
Duration of Sleep |
Newborn - 4 months | Varied sleep pattern |
4 months - 1 year | 12-16 hours per day |
1 year - 2 years | 11-14 hours per day |
3 years - 5 years | 10-13 hours per day |
6 years - 12 years | 9-12 hours per day |
13 years - 18 years | 8-10 hours per day |
Adults | 7-9 hours per day |
Some individuals can manage daily activities with less sleep, while others require more sleep on a daily basis. However, both oversleeping (like taking long hours of nap) and sleep deprivation can impact your ability to fall asleep at night.
Long-term Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Health
Being sleep-deprived on a daily basis can have drastic results on your health. Different functions and organs of your body will start experiencing issues, which will eventually lead to critical health issues for you.
The following are some major body parts that are negatively impacted because of long-term sleep deprivation:
Lack of Sleep Effects on Brain
Your brain ages faster when you are sleep deprived on a long-term basis. As a result, it starts functioning as someone’s brain who is older than you. Over time, chronic under-rest can lead to dementia.
Again, there is a likelihood of narrowing of blood vessels in individuals suffering from sleep deprivation. Consequently, the blood flow to the brain is disrupted and lowered, which reduces the flow of much-needed sugar and oxygen to the brain. This causes a decline in the ability to think and retain information in the form of memory, as your brain becomes exhausted.
Some other major effects of sleep deprivation on the brain include:
Lack of Sleep Effects on Heart Health
Long-term sleep deprivation adversely affects heart health and may cause elevation in cholesterol levels and hypertension or high blood pressure, both of which are the leading risk factors that cause heart disease.
It has also been studied that individuals who suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and do not sleep for more than 6 hours develop the risk of experiencing either a stroke or a heart attack.
If your occupation or lifestyle keeps you up late at night, causing you sleep deprivation, it is recommended that you consider investing in
heart attack insurance coverage so that you are not financially drained out in case of a sudden medical crisis.
Consequences of Insufficient Sleep on the Rest of the Body
Here are some other bodily functions that are negatively affected due to long-term sleep deprivation:
The Immune System
Sleep boosts your immune system, which contributes to an increased ability to fight infections. Inadequate sleep reduces the immune cell numbers, putting you at risk of falling ill.
Inability to fight off viruses/bacteria
Longer time to overpower illnesses/infections
Risk of developing chronic ailments like cardiovascular disease and diabetes
Respiratory System
Your respiratory system also gets affected when you stop sleeping sufficiently for a long time. These are the effects on your respiratory system due to long-term sleep deprivation:
Risk of developing respiratory infections
Risk of developing sleep apnea
Chronic illnesses worsening over time
Endocrine System
The endocrine system is crucial for proper body functioning, as it comprises hormone-producing glands. Negative effects of chronic lack of sleep on the endocrine system include:
Effect on the pituitary/growth gland
The body is unable to repair tissue and cells/build new muscle
Effect on the production of hormones.
Cancer Risk
Research also shows that cancer risk is increased in individuals with disruptive sleep. High risk of breast cancer as well as colorectal cancer is shown to be in women suffering from long-term sleep deprivation.
Effects of Less Sleep on Mental Health
It is not very clear whether sleep deprivation is the cause or a symptom of mental disorders. However since proper rest improves our general mood and outlook, it can be safely said that sufficient sleep can prove beneficial for our mental health.
Here are some negative effects on mental health due to sleep deprivation on the long term:
It is clear from above that chronic sleep deprivation affects your bodily functions in a significant way. Not only are you at risk of developing heart disease but your metabolism is also affected, which can result in obesity and diabetes. Moreover, long-term sleep deprivation can adversely affect your overall well-being.
It can diminish your interest in working or socialising with friends and loved ones. It puts you at risk of meeting with accidents while driving due to bouts of “microsleep”. On the whole, poor sleep habits for prolonged periods of time are not encouraged and should be avoided at all costs.
Reliance General Insurance for Overall Health Protection
As mentioned earlier, if you suffer from a lack of sleep because of your occupation or because your lifestyle demands it, it is highly recommended that you take some time out to find good
health insurance to cover the expenses that may leave you financially drained.
Our health plans are thoughtfully planned so that you can access quality healthcare without being burdened by the cost of medical treatments. Moreover, we keep a close watch over your health and help you avoid developing chronic or critical illnesses by providing you with annual preventive health check-ups that include vaccinations and screenings.
This way, you can avoid developing health issues because of long-term sleep deprivation and take the right measures for better health.
You can opt for our individual health insurance policy that comes with options for sum insured, multiple add-on benefits and discount options and access to medical care for pre-existing diseases with a limited waiting period.
You can additionally avail of financial coverage for medical costs associated with treatment options at home in case hospitalisation is not possible. To know more about how our affordable health plans can protect you financially, explore our official website.
Conclusion
The first step is to recognise your condition and then take the necessary steps to prevent your sleep deprivation from making you develop serious health issues. It may take time, but you should make an effort to put an end to your long-term sleep deprivation condition.
With proper measures and help from doctors, you can return to a healthy sleep cycle, which will help you get your life back on track.
Sleeping disorders are expensive treatments, you might have to pay a hefty amount to cure them. Hence, it is advised that you acquire a health policy to stay prepared for anything that comes your way when trying to access quality medical care for your sleep-related issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a human be sleep-deprived at a go?
It varies from one individual to another as to how long one can be sleep deprived. However, it takes an adult only a few days of sleep deprivation before they experience severe mental and physical effects.
What is the optimal time to go to sleep?
While there is no fixed optimal time to go to sleep, it is advisable that you schedule a sleep routine that is consistent with your body’s circadian rhythm of nighttime rest.
What causes sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation is commonly caused by lifestyle factors like untimely sleep schedules or excessive exposure to screens, medical conditions, stress, school or work demands and sleep disorders.