Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Your Body

It's a long day when you're sleep-deprived. You feel muggy, struggle to do things you usually find easy, and experience heightened stress and anxiety as your brain and body struggle to keep up with the day's happenings.

Thankfully, a few nights of poor sleep is unlikely to cause serious health problems. Still, chronic sleep deprivation is linked with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and weakened immunity, so it pays to get your sleep in check.

But what are the effects of sleep deprivation on your body, and why do you feel like death after getting little or no sleep?

This article covers everything you need to know.

Let's jump in!

Nocturnal maintenance

The human body is a biological computer powered by millions of chemical processes. Some of those processes only happen when you sleep, so sleep deprivation robs your body of maintenance essential to your health.

During deep and REM sleep, your brain is as active as it is when awake, but all your energy is committed to physiological and neural dynamics. This is why we heal faster and get rid of alcohol faster in our sleep.

Sleep deprivation effects

Sleep deprivation stops several maintenance processes in their tracks, and these are the keys to why you feel rotten after no sleep.

Here are the main processes that are impacted:

Cerebrospinal fluid oscillations

In 2019, researchers found proof that cerebrospinal fluid washes in and out of the brain in waves while sleeping. This process cleanses the brain of toxins that build up, including beta-amyloid, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Neural pathways

During sleep, pathways between nerve cells (neurons) form, and old pathways are altered to allocate memory and store new information. This nocturnal process is essential to eliminating and forming neural connections.

Immune response

The immune system increases the production of cytokines while sleeping to target inflammation. It is also the body's cue to release antibodies, with one study finding that sleep loss decreases influenza antibodies by 50%.

Metabolism response

Sleep deprivation alters the glucose metabolism and hormones involved in controlling calorie consumption. The better you sleep, the more calories you burn, so lack of sleep can cause weight gain.

Cell and tissue repair

During sleep, enzymes repair brain cell damage caused by free radicals, and protein synthesis increases, repairing damaged tissues. This study found that one night of sleep loss reduces protein synthesis by 18%.

Sex drive

Sleep is essential for releasing the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, with sleep deprivation linked with lower libido in men and women. Insomnia and sleep apnea are also classed as causes of sexual dysfunction.

Depression

Sleep deprivation is a core symptom of depression, and depression causes insomnia, creating a cycle. People with insomnia are ten times more likely to develop depression due to chemical imbalances and heightened stress.

Anxiety

A lack of sleep causes anxiety because it increases the release of the stress hormone cortisol. This endless trap can wreck your mental health, making you feel nervous, irritable, stressed, and angrier than usual.

How much sleep do I need?

Healthy adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, with teenagers needing eight to ten hours and children needing nine to eleven hours. You may be able to function with less sleep, but it may take an hour.

If you don't get enough sleep, you will feel muggy and irritable, with reduced concentration and mental efficiency. Getting too much sleep is also bad because you wake up directly from a deeper sleep stage, making you feel muggy.

 That's why our beds and mattresses are tirelessly tested to help you relax and fall asleep faster.

Please read our article covering how many hours of sleep you need to learn more.

Sleep deprivation sets you up for a bad day, but the effects are reversed with a good night's sleep. If you have chronic sleep problems, you should speak with your GP to find a long-term solution.