Harmful effects of lack of sleep and tips to improve sleep

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Harmful effects of lack of sleep
Tips for better sleep

Categories: Your health is more important

Harms of lack of sleep and tips for improving sleep

Lack of sleep has become one of the problems of modern times, and it is more common in developed countries, where work pressures are more severe, compared to other societies. The spread of smartphones and social networking sites has also affected the quality of sleep on a global level, to the point that the smartphone has become one of the primary causes of sleep problems.

Harms of lack of sleep

The harms resulting from lack of sleep can be summarized as follows:

Weight gain

One of the negatives of lack of sleep Sleep causes hormonal disturbances, which consequently leads to weight gain. Lack of sleep increases the desire to eat, due to increased secretion of the hormone “ghrelin,” which is responsible for the feeling of hunger.

Frequent accidents

Lack of sleep affects an individual’s mental abilities and limits them, and this is what official statistics have shown, which indicate that the number of victims of traffic accidents due to poor concentration is much higher than those caused by consuming alcoholic beverages while driving a car.

Angina

Many studies have shown that sleep problems cause diseases of the blood vessels and arteries, and they also cause disturbances in pressure and heart rhythm, and in extreme cases, they cause angina.

Increasing headaches and migraines

The body secretes the hormone cortisol in cases of stress, and because lack of sleep causes stress, it is natural that the level of this hormone rises in the body, and this rise leads to pain in the body.

Psychological problems

Among the usual symptoms of lack of sleep are psychological disorders and depression, and doctors have classified sleep disorders as the first symptoms of depressive illnesses.

Skin shows signs of stress

Many people who do not sleep well suffer from pale skin and puffy eyes, after a few nights of disturbed sleep. Lack of sleep also causes an increase in the appearance of fine lines on the face and dark circles under the eyes. When the body does not get enough sleep, the body releases more of the hormone cortisol, which damages the collagen protein that maintains the health and elasticity of the skin. Lack of sleep also leads to a decrease in the secretion of human growth hormone, which is important for maintaining healthy skin and strengthening bones.

Frequent disease incidence

A symptom of lack of sleep is also an increased incidence of disease, as the body during sleep produces substances that protect the body from infection, such as: cytokines and antibodies. As sleep rates decrease, the production of these substances in the body decreases, which leads to an increase in the chances of contracting diseases due to the inability of the immune system to fight them, and the recovery process may take a longer time.