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Sleep is a vital part of a person’s health and wellbeing. When you don’t get enough sleep, it has a variety of consequences for your health. Experts recommend getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep per day to assist your body and mind handle the necessary amount of stress. However, people don’t take rest and trade their sleep for other tasks.
This has an impact on not only their sleep quality, but also their entire health and well-being. When you don’t receive the recommended number of hours and quality of sleep, it has a variety of consequences for your health. From weight gain to increased risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, depression; the list can be endless. Hence, it is crucial that you sleep well. Read on to know what happens to your body when you cut down on your sleep hours.
Weight Gain
When you don’t get sleep, it affects the balance of hunger-regulating hormones; ghrelin and leptin. This eventually makes you crave high-calorie, sugary foods and makes you overeat. This, along with low energy and little to no physical activity can lead to weight gain.
Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
When you are sleep deprived, your body’s ability to use insulin effectively is affected, which causes insulin resistance. This leads to high blood sugar levels and over time, this can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
Risk of Heart Disease
Poor sleep patterns tends to affect the cardiovascular system. It can lead to high blood pressure, increases stress hormones like cortisol and lead to inflammation. All of these factors combined can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Weak Immune System
Your body releases cytokines during sleep, which helps it fight infections and inflammation. However, when you don’t get the required sleep, cytokine production drops, which eventually affects the immune system. This makes the body vulnuerable to common illness like colds and flu.
Risk of Cancer
Poor sleep can also affect the body’s ability to repair DNA damage and regulate cell growth. Along with this, it also affects melatonin production which can lead to the development of certain cancers like breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.
Disclaimer: The tips and suggestions in this post are for general information only and should not be considered professional medical advice. Always with your doctor or a dietician before beginning a fitness program or making dietary adjustments.
Source: InTv
