It’s so common for women to suffer from chronic sleep deprivation that we’ve come to accept it as an irreversible fact of life.
This is especially true because as women we’re going through inevitable hormonal changes.
Premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, child-rearing, perimenopause, and menopause…These are the main reasons we can’t get proper rest. Sometimes for long stretches of time.
So how can you fight back?
How Does Sleep Deprivation Affect You And How Do You Beat It?
Sleep is critical to the maintenance of your health.
Lack of proper rest can lead to a variety of issues. These issues can impact your physical and mental well-being over the long and short term.
The problems with not getting enough sleep are long and complicated.
But they all start with the effects sleep deprivation has on your mind and body.
Missing out on sleep can worsen your health, amplify your existing health issues and affect your energy level throughout the day. It can also increase your feelings of anxiety and stress.
Therefore, it is imperative that you learn how it affects you and what you can do about it.
What Is Sleep Deprivation Definition?
Sleep deprivation doesn’t just mean the lack of appropriate rest.
It also means not receiving the necessary deep sleep that occurs when you reach a complete state of rest.
So it isn’t just about quantity but also about quality.
Neglected sleep is hard to quantify. The average person needs roughly eight hours of sleep per night.
However, sleep requirements can vary with age and be dependent upon several other factors. Your life circumstances and general health both play a role.
Keep in mind sleep deprivation and insomnia can include having trouble falling asleep, as well as staying asleep.
Even if you fall asleep quickly, waking up every hour or so is not normal. It’s keeping you from a deep sleep that your body and mind need for proper rest.
Continue reading if you want to know more about sleep deprivation, how to recognize the signs, and learn about the potential side effects.
What Are the Causes of Sleep Deprivation?
Deprived sleep could be precipitated by numerous physical, medical, and environmental factors.
Before looking at the effects of sleep deprivation, it’s important to have a good understanding of why this could be happening to you.
Keep in mind there are many potential causes for sleep deprivation. From anxiety and depression to various health conditions. Other causes could simply be habits or lifestyle choices that are very easy to fix.
Here are some of the most common causes of sleep deprivation.
Underlying Health Problems
Several medical maladies might cause sleep disruptions due to the symptoms they produce.
The good news is these medical conditions are treatable.
Common conditions include:
Sleep Apnea – With sleep apnea, you experience breathing disturbances at night, which often shock your body awake. This can happen whether you are fully aware of it or not.
Acid Reflux – You might have discomfort at night as soon as you lay down, which is when acid reflux symptoms worsen. Luckily, treatments are readily available.
Hormonal Disorders – Many people experience sleep issues when they are dealing with hormonal disorders or hormonal imbalances. A simple blood test from your doctor can help you get diagnosed with these.
Sleep Deprivation and Excessive Stress
Stress can take various forms and be precipitated by a variety of environmental, professional, and personal causes.
Everyone deals with a certain amount of stress. While you can’t always avoid it entirely, you should at least be able to reduce it.
Try to find the cause of your stress first – whether it is from personal relationships, work, or home life.
Once you have narrowed down the main sources of your stress, you can try to eliminate them, or at least learn how to manage them better.
This might mean finding enough time for self-care, avoiding certain toxic people leading to your stress, or working on healthier daily habits to overcome it.
Specific Medications
Certain medications contain ingredients that might enhance states of wakefulness because they contain stimulant drugs or produce sleep-disrupting side effects.
It’s a good idea to consider what medications you are currently taking and determine if they might be affecting your sleep.
Some medications might include:
Beta-blockers
Corticosteroids
Diuretics
Clonidine
Cold or flu medications
If you take any of these regularly, talk to your doctor about possible alternatives.
Certain Foods and Beverages Can Induce Sleep Problems
Some foods contain stimulating substances like caffeine. Such as coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate.
Stimulants, especially if ingested in the evening or prior to your regular bedtime, could result in sleep deprivation.
Remember it’s not just caffeinated coffee or soft drinks that might keep you from sleeping at night. It could be something as simple as chocolate for dessert, which is a known stimulant.
A Poor Diet Can Also Rob You Of Sleep
Poor eating habits or the consumption of non-nutritious foods could elicit fluctuations in your blood sugar.
Blood sugar variations, especially when they occur during the evening or during your regular sleeping hours, could cause periods of hunger that interrupt rest cycles.
Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Sleep Issues
Repeated incidents of deprived sleep could manifest in acute symptoms. Symptoms such as yawning, tiredness, reduced reflexes, concentration difficulties, mood swings, and memory problems. That said, the condition could also result in potentially more serious physical and mental medical issues.
Physical Effects of Sleep Deprivation
A continual lack of adequate rest could have an adverse impact on many bodily systems. Ultimately it can result in a wide range of physical conditions.
Sleep deprivation doesn’t just cause fatigue and low energy during the day, though you should definitely consider these common effects.
It can actually be detrimental to your health and require any number of treatments. In some cases, it can even lead to hospitalization.
Here are some of the most common physical effects of being deprived of proper sleep:
Weakened Immune System
To start with, sleep deprivation could be weakening your immune system.
Your body’s entire system needs to work together to battle different illnesses. And this includes getting enough rest.
Without it, you are potentially putting your immune system in jeopardy.
Why is this a problem?
Because with a weakened immune system, you then run a higher risk of illnesses like a cold and flu, infections, and viruses.
Heart and Blood Pressure Issues
Your cardiovascular system can also be affected by not sleeping properly.
Your blood and heart vessels need proper rest to keep functioning normally. So when you deny this basic bodily system enough sleep, you are increasing cardiovascular issues.
Sleep deprivation might not cause high blood pressure and heart problems on its own. However, it can exacerbate current cardiovascular issues and raise your risk for a number of related complications.
Weight Gain
We all know this one – you’re so tired due to lack of sleep that you can’t keep your eyes open.
So what do you do? Resort to comfort snacking. You grab a biscuit or a chocolate bar for a quick energy fix.
When it comes to the main meals of the day, you don’t bother to cook and order a takeaway.
The greasier the better because, well, you need that comfort.
Forget the gym too. If you’re struggling with fatigue, you’ll soon lose any will to move.
This way, you’ll be perpetually operating on low energy and wrong fixes.
It’s the perfect vicious cycle.
And so it goes until you’ve piled up some nice extra weight.
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal imbalances might not seem like a big problem. But they can eventually lead to more serious issues down the line.
You might struggle with thyroid diseases, diabetes, or other endocrine diseases. All because you are denying your body enough sleep.
Mental Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Continued occurrences of sleep deprivation could result in mental issues. For example, poor judgment, long-term memory loss, the development of anxiety disorders, and depression. In severe instances, it can manifest in possible outbreaks of psychoses.
Sleep Deprivation and Anxiety Disorders
If you suffer from an anxiety disorder like panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, you are not doing yourself any favors by skipping sleep.
Anxiety is a complicated mental health disorder, but one that can be worsened by sleep deprivation.
Treating anxiety is all about balance, and that begins with resting both your body and your mind.
Sleep Deprivation and Depression
Similar to anxiety, getting better sleep is not going to cure depression. But lack of sleep can certainly make your symptoms worse. It can even trigger major depressive episodes in some cases.
Don’t underestimate how important good sleep can be for this and other mental health conditions.
Increased Stress
We spoke previously about how your stress could be exacerbated by lack of sleep, but it is worth repeating.
Stress affects nearly every part of your life. From increasing other mental health disorders to causing extreme fatigue, and affecting your personal and professional relationships.
It is worth noting that sleep deprivation has been the investigated cause of several major adverse events. It caused automobile accidents, industrial mishaps, and plane crashes.
Additionally, a chronic lack of sleep might also lead to less tragic but still significant problems like poor job performance.
Tips for Getting More Sleep
By now, you understand just how important it is that you get proper sleep.
Sleep deprivation can be really frustrating, but all hope is not lost.
Here are some tips to help you improve your sleep now.
Book a Medical Checkup
Since lack of sleep can be very closely related to physical conditions, this should be your first step.
If nothing else, it will help to rule out conditions like diabetes or thyroid conditions so you can look at other potential causes.
Try to Adhere to A Specific and Constant Sleep Schedule
With so many people having demanding schedules that often change and tend to demand more and more of their time, orchestrating a regular sleep schedule might be difficult.
However, when and if it can be done, medical professionals sleep experts suggest attempting to block out a specific time each night (or day) for sleep and not deviating unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Get A Proper Amount of Exercise
Engaging in regular physical exertion can work a participant’s bones and muscles, prompting fatigue and a greater need for the body to rest.
This doesn’t need to be a strenuous workout every day. Just try to participate in regular physical activities, such as walking your dog, doing yoga in the morning, or just taking a short walk during your lunch break.
Manage Stress Better
Ebbing incidents of stress, as well as precipitators of the emotional, physical and mental catalyst, is not always simple.
However, what you can control is how they react to stress and find constructive ways to deal with its occurrence.
If you can trace your sleeping woes to the stress you’re going through, try to decrease the tension by engaging in a hobby or pleasant activity in the hours leading up to bedtime.
Disclaimer:
This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or mental health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information to help you get better quality sleep. For medical assistance, please seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
