Lack of sleep: consequences for women, men. Causes and symptoms of persistent sleep deprivation

If you can't wake up on time without outside help, it's a sign that you're not getting enough sleep. If every morning, before work, your alarm clock just "pulls" you out of deep sleep or you feel the need to sleep "a little more" every time he calls - you are chronically sleep deprived. Do you want to sleep longer on your day off, while going to bed at the usual time? So, let's look at the sure signs of chronic sleep deprivation.

Decreased ability to make decisions

Chronic sleep deprivation impairs our ability to make small decisions. This even applies to very unimportant things, for example, where to sit in the cinema, what movie to watch or where to go for a walk. In general, all sorts of little things.

The inability to make important decisions is also a sign of sleep deprivation. AT stressful situations when you need to take it fast important decision, this may manifest as numbness or panic.

Impulsiveness

In addition to the reduced ability to make decisions, there is another behavioral disorder in a person experiencing chronic sleep deprivation. Some people, instead of a state of numbness, begin to react violently to any events. They quickly and impulsively begin to make decisions, often without even thinking about the consequences.

Irritability

If you are not sure whether you are irritable or not, ask your loved one to assess your behavior from the outside.

Your pillow looks more attractive than your favorite (may)

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a decrease in sex hormones and an increase in stress hormones, which naturally lowers sexual desire further.

You get sick often

How many times did you get sick last year? If you can't remember, but you know you got sick often enough, then your immune system is probably malfunctioning. Your body needs proper rest in order to the immune system functioned at an optimal level.

Often you can't remember

If you can't figure out what's wrong with your memory recent times, lack of sleep may be to blame. Good dream- the key to the full functioning of the brain.

Inability to concentrate

Our ability to concentrate is directly dependent on proper rest. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor academic performance, reduced productivity at work, and increased distractibility. Also, by a sluggish look, directed to nowhere, it can be determined that a person is chronically sleep deprived.

Clumsiness

If you don't know what happened to your sense of coordination, it's possible that the problem lies in lack of sleep. people deprived good sleep more clumsy than drunk people. lovers computer games take note: midnight "battles" impair your coordination.

Nodding or microsleep

When we don't give our body the rest it needs, it will steal it from us. At the wrong time, we can just turn off and not even know what happened to us. More than half of the drivers admit that at least once they nod off while driving, in most cases just continuing to drive. If you fall asleep for short periods during the day, your body is trying to tell you something.

No matter how you reassure yourself “I’ll get enough sleep on the weekend for the whole week,” it’s impossible to do this, alas, because the lack of sleep cannot be replenished. If the lack of nightly sleep within 24 hours can still be compensated, then the weekly norm is not. That is, it is almost impossible to make up for lost sleep. But in vain - for example, sleep-deprived animals die. Experts suggest that a similar result is inevitable for humans.

Sleep deprivation symptoms

Sleep is a vital necessity. Its absence leads to serious health problems. Of course, for each individual person, the symptoms of lack of sleep manifest themselves in their own way, but there are certain intersections that are characteristic of everyone.

External symptoms of lack of sleep

External symptoms of lack of sleep are, first of all, well-known to all dark circles under the eyes. They arise as a result of excessive overwork, not only due to prolonged sitting at the computer, but also many other life circumstances that cause increased blood supply to the eye area. Overstrain caused by prolonged non-closure of the eyelids and the forced work of the pupils leads to overflow of blood vessels in the area, and thin skin and the absence of a fatty layer with the head give out a night spent without sleep. Lack of sleep also manifests itself externally in the form of a slight swelling of the face and loss of skin tone throughout the body. Among other things, unreasonable irritability arises, concentration decreases, absent-mindedness prevails.

Internal symptoms of lack of sleep

The internal manifestation of symptoms caused by lack of sleep is associated with the stress level of the whole organism.: it is, first of all, horse racing blood pressure, palpitations, loss of appetite, problems with the gastrointestinal tract (gastric and intestinal tracts). In addition, rational thinking is lost, which is why irrationality begins to prevail, which leads to even greater irritability and dissatisfaction with the situation. A person completely loses an adequate reaction to what is happening around. Is weakening protective function organism, there is a delayed reaction to external factors which causes poor performance. Gastritis, stomach ulcers and hypertension are the companions of those who are forced to stay awake for a long time.

Consequences of lack of sleep

The most important and well-known consequence of lack of sleep is deterioration. In total - and health, and well-being, and the work of the brain, and the quality of work. Also begin to overcome depressive states, unreasonable anger and sharply changeable mood. In addition to the above, lack of sleep translates into cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. There are frequent dizziness (dizziness), chronic fatigue, which is why the sleepy one feels like a squeezed lemon - devoid of any vitality and energy. As the results of experiments in the sleep laboratory from the University of California (USA) showed, after a 35-hour forced wakefulness, a person begins to react excessively and violently to the environment - even to the most trifling stimuli.

Another unpleasant consequence lack of sleep - obesity. According to statistics, everyone who sleeps less

• 4 hours during the night are 74 percent more likely to become obese than people who get a normal 7- or 9-hour sleep;
• 5 hours - at risk of gaining 50 percent more weight;
• 6 hours - 23 percent more than all those who fill the need for sleep in full overnight.

Chronic lack of sleep

Chronic lack of sleep is fraught with the fact that over time, the desire to sleep disappears completely. The cause of chronic lack of sleep lies in the complete imbalance of the mechanism of self-healing of the National Assembly ( nervous system). Serious difficulties begin with falling asleep, the quality of sleep is disturbed - it becomes intermittent and shallow (superficial). From this in the morning there is a feeling of complete weakness and headaches, but there is no trace of freshness and vigor. In addition, chronic sleep deprivation is a dangerous processes in male body- the level of the most important hormone for them (testosterone) is significantly reduced. And this entails other diseases - from a tendency to bone fractures to impotence.

How to deal with lack of sleep

It is known that there is an individual need for sleep, which varies from person to person. However, statistically normal sleep should last between 7 and 9 hours. But besides this, it also matters how a person prepares for bed and the atmosphere that he creates around himself at this time.

Peaceful environment. Even ahead of time, before going to bed, you need to slightly dim the light, making it less bright - this will tune the body to a sleepy environment. A quiet pleasant melody will also help.

Less technology. No need to sit at midnight in front of the TV or PC. In general, it is preferable to turn off all electrical appliances, including a computer and a laptop, which many people now leave in standby or sleep mode - even high-frequency sounds interfere with normal healthy sleep. The same applies to a cell phone - you need to take the phone to another room, and not put it next to you.

Comfortable bed. In particular, this applies to the pillow and mattress - they need to be selected individually. Right choice guarantees a healthy sleep and getting a charge of vivacity in the morning.

Fresh air. Airing the room before going to bed and walking on fresh air will help you get a restful and peaceful sleep. This is a hackneyed truth, but it plays one of the main roles in eliminating lack of sleep.

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Probably every modern person has information about the need for maintenance. It concerns the organization correct mode day, a complete diet food, and other similar items. And extremely important role for normal well-being and for maintaining health plays. But many people forget about this point or simply ignore it. So, the topic of our today's conversation will be lack of sleep, the consequences and symptoms, and we will also answer the question of what to do with a constant lack of nightly rest.

What threatens lack of sleep, what are the symptoms indicating it?

The effect of lack of sleep on the body is negative, as it affects the activity of all organs and systems of our body. People who constantly rest for an insufficient amount of time often complain about, they are significantly reduced, and they also lose the ability to highlight the main thing in work and in life.

Patients with sleep deprivation face a loss of sense of humor, they have an order of magnitude higher. A serious lack of nightly rest is fraught with the appearance of failures in thinking and periodic confusion. The patient has (during wakefulness), he is worried about the feeling of unreality of what is happening.

Systematic lack of sleep leads to dizziness, and periodic fainting. In a person who sleeps little, which leads to frequent infectious diseases. Scientists say that such people also increase the likelihood of developing cancer.

Chronic lack of sleep leads to a condition that is similar to feeling alcohol intoxication. With such a violation, the likelihood of development increases, as well as diabetes mellitus and.

It is believed that with insufficient night rest, a person may accumulate excessive body weight. So, if the duration of sleep per day is five hours or less, an increase in body weight by fifty or even more percent can occur. This feature of the body is explained quite easily: when chronic lack of sleep Glucose does not saturate the muscles with energy, but is deposited like fat.

Among other things, constant lack of sleep leads to the appearance, and also to development.

If you realize that the fault in your condition is lack of sleep, then you are ready to change something in your life. Therefore, we will consider how to eliminate lack of sleep, what to do with our chronic vigil.

All experts say that the duration of a night's rest for a person can be different, depending on individual needs. Average duration normal sleep should range from seven to nine o'clock. However, an extremely important role for a full and high-quality rest is also played by preparation for sleep, and the atmosphere, man-made in evening time.

So long before a night's rest, it is worth dimming the lights in the room a little. If you make the lighting less bright, you can tune in to quality sleep. Also, a quiet, unobtrusive and pleasant melody will have a good effect.

Do not sit in front of the TV or in front of the monitor for a long time. After all, an excess of information will overload the brain and can interfere with a quality night's rest. All electrical appliances that will be turned on at night can disrupt sleep. So be sure to turn them off, don't leave your computer in sleep mode, and don't put your phone at the head of the bed.

In order to sleep well, take care of the comfort of your bed. Choose the right one and. Remember that an old pillow does not support the neck well, the back hurts from a poor-quality mattress, and the dust in the bed suffers. respiratory system.

Before going to bed, it is also worth ventilating the bedroom or even leaving the window open all night. A sufficient supply of oxygen will help you get really good quality sleep. It is also useful to take a walk before going to bed. It is important to note that sleep can also be disturbed due to excessive dryness air - in extreme heat or during the heating season. To eliminate and prevent such a problem, it is worth carrying out wet cleaning, using and folk remedies increase in air humidity.

Among other things, to combat lack of sleep, organize your diet. Do not overeat at night, as stomach fullness and vigorous activity digestive tract prevent the body from resting calmly and comfortably. Dinner is worth two, and preferably four hours before bedtime. In the evening, you should also not take strong or strong drinks represented by alcohol, coffee and overly strong tea. Smoked meats, various pickles and all kinds of spicy foods can disrupt quality sleep.

To fall asleep easily in the evening, take warm bath. It is quite possible to add to it, (etc.), and other similar sedatives.

If you suffer from constant lack of sleep, train yourself to wake up and go to bed at the same time. This habit will help you prevent insomnia and enable you to wake up early in the morning without any problems.

Sleep deprivation is a common problem modern people, which can provoke very serious violations health.

Ekaterina, www.site
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Sleep is an integral part of a person's life, helping him to fully restore his strength after a hard day's work. Each of us, on average, should sleep 8 hours a day, and 2 of them should be daytime. But the crazy rhythm of life does not allow us to sleep as much as we should. Some, due to work or other life circumstances, are forced to sacrifice their sleep in order to solve problems and cope with some task in a timely manner. This is how lack of sleep arises, the dangers of which we will discuss in detail in this article.

Every third person living on planet Earth lacks sleep. This is evidenced by Canadian scientists who lead special studies regarding the effect of deficiency healthy sleep on the mental activity person.

Researchers name several reasons why a person may not get enough sleep:

• prolonged communication on the phone or in social networks;
• prolonged viewing of a movie, TV show or some series on TV or via the Internet;
• playing computer games;
• caring for a small child;
• work and study;
• a disease that causes insomnia in a person;
• wrong way of life (night gatherings with friends or acquaintances in bars, restaurants and clubs);
• improper preparation for sleep - eating right before bedtime, drinks containing caffeine, poorly ventilated room, uncomfortable bed and pillow.

The reasons, as you can see, are banal and at the same time obvious. Each of us will surely recognize ourselves by becoming familiar with the factors that contribute to lack of sleep. It is in our power to get rid of them - for this we just need to review our work schedule and give up habits that, in fact, are the traps of our time.

Depriving ourselves of proper sleep, we ask wrong rhythm work for your body:

• reduced immunity
• substances that fight viruses and infections are not released
• serotonin is not produced - the hormone of joy
• all internal organs start working slowly

Sleep deprivation symptoms

How to understand that you are not getting enough sleep. There are many symptoms that indicate that you are sorely lacking sleep in your life:

1. Waking up every morning, you still feel tired and sleepy. This state of mind accompanies you all day long.
2. Eyes from lack of sleep turn red, watery and begin to hurt badly. They burst blood vessels due to overwork.
3. Lack of sleep causes bruising under the eyes – bluish spots, indicating fatigue of your eyes and impaired blood circulation.
4. The skin of the face becomes pale.
5. A person from lack of sleep constantly has a headache from morning until evening, while she is constantly spinning, as a result of which a person can lose consciousness.
6. Some, due to the lack of proper sleep, may feel sick, because the digestive organs begin to work incorrectly.
7. The pressure from lack of sleep increases especially in those who suffer from vegetative-vascular dystonia.
8. The thought process develops more slowly, as a result of which efficiency and productivity decrease.
9. The person looks depressed, which makes him too irritable.
10. The body temperature may rise sharply from lack of sleep, there will be false symptoms colds, but true reason will be covered in a banal lack of proper sleep.

Some feel all or only some of the above symptoms of sleep deprivation only temporarily, while for others they become a painful lifestyle because the lack of sleep becomes chronic. Next, we will talk in detail about what it is, and how it is dangerous for human health and life.

Chronic sleep deprivation

You can talk about chronic sleep deprivation only when it becomes permanent. If you have not slept fully for a week, a month or several months, this is not yet a disease. Lack of sleep turns into an ailment when a person experiences the following:

• He behaves as if drunk - he has a confused mind, hallucinations appear, he does not know what he is saying, he can fall asleep on the go.
• Slow reaction and the same weak thought process. Everything happens for a person, as if in a fog, and he is completely unaware of this.
• People who have experienced chronic sleep deprivation work poorly, study poorly, constantly make mechanical mistakes, not because they don’t know something, but because their brain is not working properly. They have reduced concentration, they can not concentrate.
• Due to chronic lack of sleep, a person becomes depressed, feels constant fatigue and sleepiness.

Chronic sleep deprivation leads to dangerous consequences for life and health. We will list you general consequences, what lack of sleep leads to, and also characterize how it is specifically dangerous for women and men.

What threatens a person with lack of sleep?

Can a person die from lack of sleep? Of course not, because at least a few hours a day he still devotes time to sleep. However, due to lack of sleep, accidents can occur and develop fatal diseases that will cause death.

We will list for you the main problems that may arise due to constant lack of sleep:

1. will appear overweight. Scientists conducted a study by observing women who slept less than 5 hours a night. They found that these women began to gain weight very quickly for this reason. After all, due to lack of sleep, the hormones ghrelin and leptin are not properly produced - they are responsible for saturating the body. A person is so hungry all the time that he constantly wants to eat.
2. A person ages faster because he does not properly produce melatonin, a hormone responsible for neutralizing the destructive effects of oxidative processes. Most of all, this consequence of lack of sleep affects women. If a lady goes to bed later than 2 a.m. (at this time the peak of melatonin production comes), then her skin will begin to fade quickly.
3. Lack of sleep increases the risk of colon cancer. The reason for this lies also in the improper production of melatonin. Evidence for this statement was presented to the world by American experts. Medical Center Case in 2011.
4. Those who sleep less than 6 hours a day are at risk of getting sick diabetes even if they do not have this disease genetic predisposition. The fact is that due to insufficient sleep, fasting glucose is disturbed, as a result of which the body cannot regulate the level of sugar in the blood.

1. Those who sleep little are at increased risk of developing glaucoma, the most common cause of blindness. A person can quite suddenly, waking up one morning, go blind either in one eye or both at once. And if the intracranial arterial pressure, then swelling will occur optic nerve that will accompany blindness severe pain and incurability.
2. Most terrible consequence lack of sleep for men - reduction men's health. Testosterone begins to be poorly produced in the blood, a man not only loses sexual desire and potency, but also begins to age much faster.
3. Due to lack of sleep, a person begins to become stupid. His level of intelligence decreases, he becomes distracted. Such people cannot apply for career because they become unable to think creatively and work effectively.
4. A person who does not get enough sleep is highly susceptible to depressive disorders. This is especially true of adolescents, whose psyche is just being formed.

Sleep deprivation: what to do?

If you are sleep deprived and you know it well, then it is time for you to take concrete measures to avoid all of the above consequences for your health. Here's what you can do yourself:

• Walk outdoors every day. It is especially useful to take a walk in the evening, shortly before going to bed.
• Try to eat right - eat only healthy food often and often.
• Do not drink a lot of water and other liquids in the afternoon. This is especially true for drinks that tone up.
• Do not watch films before bed that can greatly impress you and affect your sleep.
• Try to go to bed at the same time every day so that you wake up at the same time every day - this is very important point for the work of internal organs.
• Buy quality bedding - you should be comfortable on your bed and pillow.
• Get rid of everyone bad habits because they have a very negative effect on human sleep.
• Do not forget that an important component of life healthy person is physical education. Go in for sports or at least run in the evenings or mornings.

Adequate sleep is the key to vigor and Have a good mood. Everything in our life depends on it, although some do not attach any importance to how much time they sleep per day. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, go to a neurologist or therapist. These doctors will tell you which drugs to drink to bring your sleep pattern back to normal.

Video: “Lack of sleep. The terrible consequences of lack of sleep

How much does a person need to sleep during the day and what is chronic sleep deprivation? These questions have been of concern to physicians, psychologists, ordinary people and even the military. Let's make an attempt to understand this issue and we.

The concept of sleep in antiquity

Almost all ancient civilizations treated dreams with sacred awe. For example, in ancient Egypt, it was believed that sleep is a message from the gods. Almost universally, there is a belief that sleep is a brief state, like death, when a person's soul flies away to unknown distances and sometimes may not return back.

However, in addition to such explanations, some ancient thinkers tried to give some scientific interpretation to this phenomenon and use the state of sleep to treat certain diseases. For example, Hippocrates, Galen, Aristotle tried to distinguish between dreams that excite illness and those that heal it.

How scientists explain the mechanism of falling asleep

Despite significant progress in the study of the structure and functions of the brain, the state of sleep is still an unsolved mystery for many serious researchers. Currently, there are quite a few theories as to why we sleep and why we need it. The only indisputable fact is that every person spends almost a third of his life in a state of sleep.

It is believed that during wakefulness in certain structures of the brain, substances are already beginning to be produced, due to the action of which sleep subsequently comes (for example, melatonin, serotonin and other completely unexplored substances).

In general, for the body, falling asleep is a signal to switch to another mode of functioning and activity, a sign to launch many recovery processes and cleansing cells from various unnecessary substances.

For the nervous system, sleep also means processing and comprehending the information received during the day, analyzing and searching for a solution at a subconscious level.

Types of sleep

The process of sleep itself is heterogeneous in nature. During the observation of sleeping people, the researchers noted a certain cyclical nature of the ongoing processes: the presence of alternating periods of slow and REM sleep. In total, about 3–5 such cycles are observed during the night.

REM sleep

Scientists called fast sleep, during which the pupils move quickly closed eyes, although the body is motionless and quite relaxed. The electroencephalogram recorded during this period will resemble that of a waking person.

REM sleep is considered the fifth phase of sleep and usually occurs 1-1.5 hours after falling asleep. A person sees beautiful and memorable dreams in this phase, and its duration is about 10 minutes.

Interestingly, REM sleep is most often observed in newborns (probably they need it for normal development nervous system), and over the years, its number is significantly reduced.

If a person is deprived of REM sleep, which some do medications, then one of the forms of chronic sleep deprivation may develop, when a person will feel overwhelmed and tired, sleepy all day.

slow sleep

Slow-wave sleep, compared to REM sleep, takes significantly more time in the sleep cycle. large quantity time. From the moment you fall asleep to the onset of REM sleep, it can last about 90 minutes.

On the electroencephalogram during this period, slow alpha waves are recorded, which are gradually replaced by theta waves. The heart rate slows down, pressure decreases, breathing becomes more rare.

In the end, the so-called delta sleep occurs, which is characterized by the presence of delta waves on the EEG. During this period of sleep, it is very difficult to wake a person, although it is in this phase that the phenomena of sleepwalking and nocturnal enuresis can be observed.

It is believed that during slow sleep the main energy costs are replenished, and the brain sorts and processes the information necessary, in its opinion, for memorization.

What else happens to the body during the night

• Growth hormone is produced - somatotropin (not without reason they say that children grow in their sleep).
• Prolactin is synthesized - a hormone that ensures the secretion of milk by a nursing mother during the day.
• In those who suffer peptic ulcer 12 duodenal ulcer in REM sleep secretion level of hydrochloric acid can increase 20 times, which provokes hungry night pains.
• Nocturnal angina attacks become more frequent during REM sleep.
• All body systems are restored.

How much sleep does a person need

More than one generation of researchers tried to answer this question. It is believed that the average adult needs 7-8 hours of good sleep, and 2 of which should fall before 12 am. In general, women need 1 hour more sleep than men.

However, the facts are indisputable that for some people a significantly smaller number of hours of sleep is sufficient, while for others even 10 hours of sleep is not enough.

The most important criterion for "sleeping" is that after waking up, a person should feel rested and alert. If the rise is accompanied by weakness, bad mood and poor health, then sleep is clearly not enough.

Activities play a huge role in the overall need for sleep. thyroid gland. So, with insufficient production of its hormones (hypothyroidism), pathological drowsiness begins to be observed.

Consequences and symptoms of lack of sleep

• Depression, decreased concentration, ability to concentrate and highlight the main thing.
• Loss of sense of humor, increased irritability.
• Hallucinations, lapses in thinking, occasional confusion.
• Drowsiness during wakefulness, loss of a sense of the reality of what is happening.
• Dizziness, headaches, periodic fainting.
• Reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to cancer and infectious diseases.
• Condition like .
• Increased risk hypertensive crises development of diabetes and diabetes.
• Increasing the number of serious errors medical workers after night shift.
• A tendency to accumulate excess body weight (it is believed that if a person sleeps for 5 hours or less, then he runs the risk of gaining weight by 50 percent or more, since with chronic sleep deprivation, glucose is not utilized into muscle energy, but into fat).
• Development of insomnia, impotence.

Who or what is stealing the dream

The most common sleep thief modern man is a computer, telephone and television. Oddly enough, but sedentary image life also plays a very significant role in the deprivation enough sleep (with hypodynamia, it is very difficult for a person to fall asleep on time, and waking up early makes the need to be at work or classes - that's the amount of sleep and is reduced).

Late and plentiful dinner family quarrels in the evening, drinking stimulant drinks, night shifts, working overtime can also steal precious hours of sleep.

Chronic sleep deprivation: how to deal with it

1. Normalize and put your lifestyle in order: try to go to bed no later than 22–23.00, and wake up 7–8 hours after falling asleep.
2. During the day, more physical activity.
3. Do not drink stimulant drinks, as well as alcohol, in the second half.
4. Quit smoking.
5. Use the bed only for sleeping.
6. On the eve of going to bed, take a short walk in the fresh air, forgive everyone (including yourself): let your emotions subside, passions settle down. Find at least 10 reasons to be grateful for this day. Take a warm bath, turn on quiet soothing music, and have a relaxing massage.

Well, if these measures do not help, seek help from a specialist.

Here is a small test that will help you determine if your body is getting enough sleep.

• When the alarm rings, do you move the hands to a later time and sleep on?
• Sometimes you don't hear the call at all?
• When you wake up, do you find it difficult to get out of bed?
• Dozing in transport, at lectures and meetings?
• Do you sleep longer than usual when you don't have to go to work?
• Lose your temper if your plans are ruined?
• A glass of alcohol - and you carry?
• Love to take a nap during the day?
• Acutely feel the fatigue that has accumulated over the week?

If you answered yes to at least 2 questions, you should reconsider your daily routine. Otherwise, it will lead to serious illness.