Why Sleep Deprivation Can Sabotage Your Health and habits to help you get back on track-

Despite the common wisdom that sleep is important for overall health and wellness, in our over-scheduled, non-stop modern lives, we often trade precious sleep for other endeavors, like social media scrolling, mindless television, or completing your to-do list.

Without adequate sleep though, nearly every aspect of waking life becomes more effortful, labored, and emotionally less fulfilling (1). In today’s article, we’re going to review the effects of insufficient sleep and explore how sleep deprivation may be sabotaging your health.

What is adequate sleep?

Proper rest is as important to our health as eating, drinking, and breathing (2). When we sleep, the brain and body slow down and engage in processes of recovery, promoting better physical and mental performance the next day and over the long term (3).

While each person will differ in the exact amount of sleep needed for replenishment, the National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.

So, if you’re consistently sleeping less than 7 hours per night, you wake feeling sleepy and physically drained, your mood is noticeably flattened, and your thinking feels sluggish and unfocused — you’re deprived of sufficient sleep (4).

How does sleep deprivation sabotage your health?

The symptoms of sleep deprivation are wide-reaching and they affect all aspects of your health.

Clinical symptoms include longer reaction times, distractedness, disturbances in attention and concentration, forgetting known facts, difficulty in memorizing new information, and making mistakes and omissions (5).

Higher levels of stress are observed in sleep-deprived individuals, leading to increased tiredness, drowsiness, and irritability. Work effectiveness decreases and motivation usually falls. Reasoning slows down not only during the night of sleep deprivation but also on the following day (6).

Sleep deprivation may also play a role in the increased prevalence of diabetes and/or obesity. A 2007 sleep medicine study explored the relationship between sleep restriction, weight gain, and diabetes, showing that consistent lack of sleep leads to impaired glucose metabolism, increased appetite, and decreased energy expenditure (7).

Improving your sleep hygiene

As you can see, prioritizing sleep is incredibly important for your body to function optimally. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, this is your sign to improve your sleep hygiene.

Initiating a few basic and cost-effective habits can significantly enhance your sleep hygiene:

• Minimize exposure to blue light for at least one hour before going to bed- If avoiding screen time during this period doesn't work into your plans, consider investing in blue light-blocking glasses. Make it a habit to keep these glasses near your laptop, phone, or TV remote control to reduce exposure to blue light that can hinder your ability to fall asleep. This simple adjustment can help eliminate the adverse effects of blue light and promote better sleep hygiene.

• Ensure you are sleeping in a cool, dark room.

• Incorporate relaxing music like binaural beats into your nighttime routine- Use your phone or a portable speaker to play it in your room overnight. While many people rely on the soothing sound of a fan to help them sleep, it is believed that the specific frequencies present in binaural beats can enhance certain brain waves associated with relaxation, improving sleep quality. Platforms like Spotify offer a variety of binaural beats designed for sleep, so take the time to find one that resonates with you and make it a habit to start playing it as soon as you enter your bedroom to sleep.

• Eliminate any electronic devices or items from your bedroom that may interfere with your ability to sleep- As a personal practice, I refrain from scrolling through my phone while in bed because I charge my phone overnight, and my charger is in my bathroom. Instead, I opt to read my Kindle before sleeping. However, I limit my reading to history or non-fiction genres to avoid stimulating my mind excessively. Similarly, if you enjoy mystery books but find them mentally stimulating, try switching to a different category of text that still piques your interest but facilitates relaxation at night.

• Aid helpful habits and minimize bad sleep habits- Reflect on the beneficial habits that aid in achieving a restful night's sleep and brainstorm uncomplicated methods to enhance their appeal and expedite their implementation. In contrast, contemplate the unfavorable factors and behaviors that impede sleep and strategize ways to make them more challenging to engage with.

If you’re in a season of life right now where consistently obtaining an average of 8 hours of sleep is impossible, don’t fret. Know that there will come a time when you can appropriately prioritize your sleep. Until then, take a nap when it’s available, stay hydrated, eat well, get out in nature, and nourish your body in other ways that feel good.

SOURCES

1, 4. “Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Cognition.” Progress in Brain Research, Elsevier, 12 Nov. 2010, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444537027000075.

2. “Sleep Matters: The Impact Of Sleep On Health And Wellbeing.” Mental Health Foundation, 11 Feb. 2020, www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/sleep-report.

3. “What Happens When You Sleep: The Science of Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 30 Oct. 2020, www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/what-happens-when-you-sleep.

5-6. Orzeł-Gryglewska, J. (2010). Consequences of sleep deprivation. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 23(1). doi:10.2478/v10001-010-0004-9

7. Knutson, K. L., Spiegel, K., Penev, P., & Van Cauter, E. (2007). The metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 11(3), 163–178. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2007.01.002