Introduction
Lack of sleep can cause a number of problems including poor concentration, mood swings, and irritability. People also have problems concentrating and staying alert during the day. These issues can affect the way that people function during the day. They can even cause accidents when they are driving. In some cases, these problems may be a result of a chronic health condition.
People with sleep deprivation usually have more problems than people with normal sleeping habits. They are more prone to wake up feeling drowsy and have higher blood pressure and heart rate. This can lead to a variety of conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. However, the most common cause of sleep deprivation is stress. When a person has a stressful schedule, it’s difficult to get restful sleep.
What Is Sleep Deprivation?
This is a broad subject that can be difficult to put into words, so let’s get started. There are many different types of sleep deprivation. However, the most common type of sleep deprivation is also referred to as insomnia. In general, insomnia refers to the inability or unwillingness to fall asleep until late in the night or later than usual. This can sometimes happen even if you have a solid 7-8 hours of sleep during the day and don’t take naps during your waking hours because it’s just not enough time for your body and mind to rest and it will be harder to wake up early
There are other types of sleep deprivation such as jet lag, shift work and sleep breathing disorders. However, most people will have insomnia as their main form of sleep deprivation. Insomnia can also change into a medical condition called sleep apnea in which you have difficulty breathing while sleeping. Sleep apnea is a disorder that can cause the rest of your body to go untested for the lack of oxygen it is about to receive during sleep.
Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation
The symptoms and causes for insomnia vary from person to person. The main signs of sleep deprivation are in your body and mind. The most obvious sign of sleep deprivation are:
- a feeling of tiredness.
- Slowed reaction time
- Increased blood pressure
- Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
- “the itch” that occurs in the legs during the night
- Increased heart rate and heart palpitation
- Anxiety and depression
Other symptoms include insomnia which actually makes it harder for you to fall asleep at night and makes it more difficult for your body to get restful during the day. However, it’s possible to sleep through the night and feel fatigued, but you may not be aware that you are having issues with insomnia. That’s why it is important to get medical help if you notice these symptoms in yourself or your loved ones.
Sleep Deprivation Causes
There are many causes of sleep deprivation such as:
Jet lag
It occurs when you travel through multiple time zones at once (e.g., flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco) or multiple time zone changes within one day (e.g., flying from Los Angeles to New York).
Sleep apnea
It is a disorder that may cause your brain and body not to get enough oxygen during sleep. This is a very serious condition that can cause heart problems and even death. It can occur as well as someone who snores or has sleep apnea. Sleep breathing disorder occurs when you have difficulty breathing during sleep. It’s important to note that sometimes people mistake RLS for sleep apnea because it affects both limbs and the back of the neck and face. If you’re getting any of these symptoms, including RLS in the legs, ask your doctor about it because it could be sleep apnea.
Shift work
It involves working maybe ten to twelve hours at a time before you go home and sleeping eight to ten hours at night. If you have trouble sleeping but have no other symptoms of insomnia (e.g., RLS) it doesn’t mean that you don’t have sleep deprivation, but instead you may simply be unaware of it. If you’re not sure what’s causing the insomnia and want to get help, you can see a doctor who can determine whether this is a medical condition or if you just need help adjusting your sleep schedule to allow your body and mind to rest.
Sleep Deprivation Consequences
The most obvious consequence of sleep deprivation is that you won’t be able to function normally during the day. Even if you can fall asleep at night, you may not be able to spend your time awake productively because you’re still fatigued from being deprived of sleep during the day.
This can cause many problems such as:
- Increased error rate ( mistakes at work)
- Increased risk for obesity and many other diseases related to a poor diet and lack of exercise
- Increased risk to get in car accidents because you fall asleep while driving
It’s important that you get enough rest during the day in order to be productive and avoid all of these problems. If you are having trouble getting good sleep during the night, we advise you to have a twin bed with dimensions of 38 inches by 75 inches and also tell your doctor about it so that they can find out what’s causing it and fix it.
Conclusion
Despite the symptoms of sleep deprivation, the effects are often mild. A small overall decrease in body temperature is one of the most noticeable changes. Vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate tend to rise and fall, and breathing pauses tend to be longer and more frequent. Some of these changes may be severe, while others may only be mild. You should see your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these signs.