Getting adequate sleep is incredibly important for your overall health and wellbeing. Most adults require 7-9 hours of sleep per night, yet many struggle to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Sleeping too little over an extended period can have some significant effects on your physical and mental health. In this article, we’ll explore what can happen if you don’t get enough sleep.
What is considered too little sleep?
Most experts recommend that adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Getting less than 7 hours regularly is considered insufficient and can lead to sleep deficiency over time. The specific amount of sleep needed can vary slightly from person to person, but generally:
– Less than 6 hours is considered very inadequate sleep
– 6-7 hours is considered inadequate
– 7-9 hours is considered adequate
– 9+ hours may be appropriate for some individuals
Teenagers and children need even more sleep – usually 8-10 hours per night.
Poor cognitive function and performance
Not getting enough sleep can significantly impact your cognitive abilities and daily performance. Sleep helps your brain function properly – it clears out neuronal waste products and consolidates memories from the day. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain can’t reboot itself each night. This leads to:
– Reduced alertness and concentration
– Slower reaction times
– Impaired decision making
– Problems with learning and memory
– Reduced creativity and problem-solving abilities
Studies show that sleep deprived individuals perform as poorly on cognitive tests as those who are intoxicated. Getting enough sleep is especially important for cognitive performance in jobs that require quick thinking and reactions, like doctors, pilots, and drivers. Going to work or school without adequate sleep leads to worse performance on the job or in the classroom.
Increased stress and emotional reactivity
Sleep helps regulate your emotional brain circuits. When deprived of enough sleep, you’re more likely to experience stress, anxiety, depression, and negative moods. Sleep deprivation exacerbates the emotional parts of the brain, making you more prone to anger, frustration, sadness, and negativity when faced with triggering stimuli.
Lack of sleep also makes it more difficult to regulate emotions appropriately. You may find it harder to control your reactions to upsetting events. Insufficient sleep is linked to greater emotional reactivity, moodiness, and lower frustration tolerance.
Higher risk of accidents and injuries
Drowsy driving is a major cause of serious accidents on the roads. Being awake for 18 hours straight can have effects on your driving ability similar to having a blood alcohol content of 0.05%. Driving while sleep deprived impairs your reaction time, attention, and decision-making – increasing the risk of crashes and accidents.
Insufficient sleep can also make you more prone to injuries at home, work, or when playing sports. Slower reaction times and reduced coordination raises your chances of slips, falls, and mistakes that can cause harm. Safety is greatly compromised when you’re not getting enough sleep.
Weakened immune system
Your immune system helps fight off viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing pathogens. Sleep is a critical part of keeping your immune system strong. During sleep, your body produces infection-fighting cytokines, antibodies, and growth hormones that boost immune function.
When deprived of sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines and antibodies. Vaccine efficacy is also reduced. These effects weaken your immune defenses, making it easier for viruses and other germs to cause illnesses like colds, flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Long-term sleep deficiency increases susceptibility to chronic conditions too.
Increased inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s natural defense against damage or infection. But too much inflammation over time is associated with many chronic diseases – like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.
Research shows that inadequate sleep increases inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Elevated inflammatory markers are tied to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and autoimmune disorders.
Higher risk of serious medical conditions
Over the long-term, insufficient sleep puts you at greater risk for many serious health problems:
Obesity
Not getting enough sleep alters hunger-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin. This increases hunger and appetite, leading to overeating, weight gain, and higher risks of obesity.
Diabetes
Insufficient sleep impairs the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, increasing the risk of insulin resistance. Over time, these effects can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Heart disease & stroke
Lack of sleep negatively impacts cardiovascular health by increasing inflammation, raising blood pressure, and disturbing the electrical pathways of the heart. This boosts risks of heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, and stroke.
Mental health disorders
Sleep deficiency is linked to higher risks of mental conditions like clinical depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Lack of sleep can both contribute to and exacerbate mental health disorders.
| Medical Condition | Risk Factor |
|---|---|
| Obesity | Altered metabolism; increased hunger and appetite |
| Diabetes | Impaired blood sugar regulation; insulin resistance |
| Heart disease & stroke | Increased inflammation; high blood pressure |
| Mental health disorders | Disrupted emotional regulation; exacerbation of conditions |
Premature aging and reduced lifespan
Sleep is restorative – it helps repair cells and biological processes that get damaged during wakefulness. When you skimp on sleep, your body doesn’t have time to fully rejuvenate itself on a cellular level.
Over the years, this accelerates the aging process and causes premature wrinkling of the skin. Significant sleep deficiency is also linked to reduced lifespan. Getting just 6 hours of sleep per night has been associated with a 12% greater risk of early death compared to those sleeping 7-8 hours.
Impaired sexual health and reproduction
Hormones that influence sexual desire and reproductive health are regulated during sleep. Sleep deprivation can alter levels of testosterone, estrogen, and growth hormones needed for reproduction and sexual functioning.
For men, lack of sleep erectile dysfunction and reduced sperm count. In women, it can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and more difficulties getting pregnant. Sleep is critical for optimal reproductive health.
Increased pain sensitivity
Sleep helps naturally ease pain – your body’s pain threshold is lowered when you’re sleep deprived. At the same time, lack of sleep increases activity in pain centers of the brain. As a result, insufficient sleep makes you more sensitive to painful stimuli. Sudden noises, cold temperatures, and even minor aches feel more painful when you’re very tired.
Conclusion
Trying to routinely get by on less sleep can have myriad negative effects on nearly every aspect of your physical and mental health. Make sleep a top priority by practicing good sleep habits every night. Turn off electronics well before bed, limit caffeine, keep your bedroom cool and dark, stick to a consistent schedule, and engage in relaxing activities before bedtime.
Getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep most nights supports optimal health, safety, and performance. Don’t cut into your slumber – getting ample rest helps ensure you operate at your best all throughout the day. The benefits of consistently getting enough sleep are well worth the commitment.