The Ugly Consequences of Not Getting Enough Sleep

The Ugly Consequences of Not Getting Enough Sleep

Be assured that you are not alone in experiencing issues in falling or staying asleep. In point of fact, the American Sleep Association estimates that anywhere between 50 and 70 million people in this country struggle to get the recommended amount of shut-eye each night. If you find yourself lying awake at night “clock watching,” then you are aware that there are some rather unpleasant side effects, and we are here to help you deal with them.

Insomnia is by far the most common form of sleep problem. It is a very irritating experience to be extremely exhausted but unable to fall or stay asleep. We, therefore, had a conversation with Colin Espie, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of Big Health, and Professor of Sleep Medicine at the University of Oxford, to gain a deeper comprehension of the negative consequences that result from a lack of sleep, as well as the solutions that are available to break the vicious cycle of sleep deprivation.

Continue reading to find out more about the negative consequences of not getting enough sleep, and after that, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, as Recommended by a Personal Trainer.

The inability to get enough sleep can make you irritable toward your loved ones and cloud your thinking.

Dr. Espie explains that not getting enough quality sleep, even if combined with other risk factors, can put you at an increased risk of developing illness in the future. It is also possible for it to exacerbate preexisting health concerns and make them worse. Because everyone, at some point or another, suffers from sleep deprivation or of poor quality, it is simple to comprehend how the inability to receive a sufficient amount of sleep can wreak havoc on an individual’s capability to function the following day.

According to Dr. Espie, exhaustion and drowsiness are the most prevalent side effects that come up as a result of not getting enough sleep. “After a night of poor sleep, you may discover that you are more prone to “snapping” at a friend or colleague, or you may find that you are easily annoyed. The inability to concentrate or “think clearly” is linked to increasing drowsiness as well as weariness as a contributing factor. If an individual is unable to articulate the cause of their extreme drowsiness and struggles to stay awake during the day, they ought to make an appointment with their primary care physician.”

It is possible for it to bring on depression as well as worsen other health conditions.

Studies have shown that changes in the quality of sleep can have an effect on both the mind and the body. In point of fact, studies have shown that sleep disturbances can make other health concerns, such as diabetes and obesity, even worse. Chronic pain disorders, psychiatric and psychological illnesses, and diabetes are only some of the conditions that have been linked to sleep disturbances. According to Dr. Espie, individuals who already have a problem with insomnia have twice the risk of acquiring depression.

This is why you might not be getting enough sleep:

Let’s begin with the possible factors that could be preventing you from falling asleep when it’s time for bed. The simple idea of trying to figure out why you can’t sleep might keep a person up all night. Worrying might bring on thoughts of hopelessness as well as anxieties about mustering the strength to make it through the following day. According to Dr. Espie, “Other contributing factors to poor night’s rest include lifestyle habits, such as consuming nicotine or caffeine late in the day or in large amounts, experiencing stress, or exposing yourself to bright light or blue light by using your smartphone or watching television before bed, or even frequently napping during the day.”

Your sleep patterns may be irregular, which could make it difficult for you to fall asleep or prevent you from getting the amount of sleep you need. This is the reason why people who work different shifts or variable schedules have trouble sleeping. According to the assertions of Dr. Espie, “A routine that includes going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning, as well as activities that promote relaxation and help put your mind at peace, such as reading and working out on a regular basis. However, it is important to keep in mind that indulging in strenuous physical activity too soon to bedtime can inhibit the onset of sleep and should be avoided.”

Even while getting a good night’s sleep is quite relaxing, it is not merely a reassuring activity to complete. But rather, Dr. Espie informs us, “It is an essential component of living a healthy life. In point of fact, if you went without eating but didn’t sleep at all, you’d be able to hold out for three times as long. You can’t stay up for an unlimited amount of time, just like you can’t hold your breath for an extended period of time, so, fortunately, we would start to go asleep on our own without even trying to.”

When you sleep, your body replenishes itself with the mental, emotional, and physical components that it needs. Dr. Espie continues by saying, “Therefore, when we feel lethargic and sleepy, our brain processes get slowed down, with lower focus and memory. Emotionally, we may become irritated and rather depressed, all of which damage our short-term and long-term health and well-being.”

Make getting ready for bed a regular part of your regimen.

We have the lowdown on what kinds of things you could try. To begin, you should aim to maintain a regular sleep schedule, restrict your intake of caffeine, and reduce the amount of exposure to light and blue light in the hours leading up to bedtime. It is important to note that if you continue to have trouble sleeping and you start experiencing irritability, weight gain or feeling fatigued and sleepy often, you should speak with a medical professional to determine what the most appropriate treatment plan may be for you given your lifestyle and the severity of your insomnia.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to be most successful and is recommended by major professional standards. If you have been having trouble sleeping for a prolonged period of time, which could range from a few weeks to even months, Dr. Espie recommends that you try CBT. CBT gives individuals strategies to cope with the cognitive or mental aspects that are involved with not sleeping. These techniques include how to deal with a “racing mind” and how to address the worry and undesirable sentiments that are created by the inability to sleep.

Dr. Espie also suggests using Sleepio, which is described as “Big Health’s digital treatment for insomnia.” Sleepio combines behavioral and cognitive approaches to treat sleeplessness. The approaches developed by Sleepio have the potential to cut in half the amount of time it takes to go off to sleep throughout the course of a one and a half month study of those who have long-term difficulty sleeping. After using Sleepio, the vast majority of study participants (76 percent) reported an improvement in the quality of their sleep.

If you’ve already given these solutions a shot but haven’t been able to get to sleep for three nights or more every week for the past 12 weeks, it’s time to talk to a sleep specialist for help. According to Dr. Espie, the clinical criteria for insomnia disorder are “seeing that your lack of sleep is hurting your everyday function and discovering that you struggle to fall or stay asleep.”

When you have multiple nights in a row in which you are unable to sleep effectively, it is highly likely that you will start to notice the negative influence on both your physical and emotional well-being.