Long-term lack of sleep due to external factors. The dangers of chronic lack of sleep and how to prevent its consequences

The reasons for lack of sleep can be very different, but you may not notice some of them, or you may not pay attention to them. of great importance. If you regularly do not get enough sleep, then you need to determine what is stopping you and find a solution to the problem through reasonable compromises.

Sleep is the time intended to restore the body's resources. A sufficient amount of sleep is no less important for a person than a sufficient amount of air, water and food.

It has been established that 5 hours of sleep per day is the minimum, and for good rest it takes 7 - 10 hours. Each person is different in this regard, but it is known that on average, children and women need more time to sleep, and older people less. Very often, lack of sleep provokes bad habits and violation of the regime. There are a number of studies conducted by professional scientists on healthy image life, based on the results of which it was established that they help modern people to fully relax.

If lack of sleep occurs rarely, it is compensated on other days. If the reasons that provoke sleep insufficiency act for a long time, chronic sleep deprivation syndrome occurs.

Symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation

Chronic sleep deprivation syndrome manifests itself:

constant fatigue
weakness
irritability
headaches
burning in the eyes
reduced performance
difficulty concentrating
daytime sleepiness
gaining excess weight
decreased libido

"The consequences of lack of sleep are many, ranging from elementary violation daily routine, and ending dangerous diseases"
Natalya Nefedova,
nutritionist
BODYCAMP

Causes of lack of sleep

1. Computer, TV and book

Wandering around the Internet, getting carried away by a television program or reading interesting novel, a person does not notice how he stays up late, stealing several hours from sleep.

2. Nightlife

Having fun in clubs and discos at the expense of sleep is typical for many people, especially young people.

3. Newborn

It’s rare that a woman manages to get enough sleep in the first six months to a year after the birth of a child, since she has to get up several times a night to see the baby.

4. Too busy work schedule

A second job, a part-time job, or combining work and study does not leave enough time for sleep.

5. Depression and stress

These conditions are characterized by increased anxiety (which can be overcome with simple), suspiciousness, anxiety, nervous tension, obsessive thoughts and nightmares leading to sleep disturbances.

6. Frequent urination

Diseases genitourinary system forced to wake up frequently to go to the toilet.

7. Aches in the limbs

Aching, pulling, twisting pain in the arms and legs is not felt during the day, but does not allow you to fall asleep at night.

8. Teeth grinding

As a result of spasm of the maxillofacial muscles, the body cannot completely relax, sleep becomes intermittent and superficial.

9. Body shakes

Sudden cramps of the arms and legs that interrupt sleep are not considered a pathology, but their repetition too often indicates nervous tension.

10. Snoring

Leads to sleep apnea, that is, breathing stops, and the brain does not receive enough oxygen.

11. Disturbance of circadian rhythms

Activity at night is fraught with disruptions in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

12. Night appetite

A couple of hours after falling asleep, a person wakes up, tormented by a feeling of hunger, and cannot fall asleep until he has a snack. In such cases, it will be useful to have a snack before bed.

13. Pregnancy

The large size of the abdomen does not allow a woman to take a comfortable sleeping position. Very often, the unborn baby pushes especially hard at night, preventing the mother from getting enough sleep.

14. Changing time zones

Rapid movement to another time zone is accompanied by a syndrome called “jet lag,” in which internal rhythms of the body (wakefulness/sleep) diverge from external ones (day/night). The period of accommodation is characterized by insomnia. With frequent repetitions of jet lag, insomnia becomes chronic.

15. Overwork

Severe physical or mental stress makes it difficult for the brain to quickly move from activity to rest. This also includes such a phenomenon as.

16. Uncomfortable bed

A pillow that is too high or flat causes the neck to twist, causing pain and cramps. An overly soft mattress does not allow the spine to accept correct position and interferes with relaxation.

17. Uncomfortable weather in the bedroom

The heat makes you open up all night, and the cold makes you shrink into a ball in an attempt to warm up. In a stuffy room, the content is increased carbon dioxide, which increases the load on the cardiovascular system.

18. Light and extraneous sounds

The light emanating from a TV screen or monitor disrupts circadian rhythms, since darkness is needed to produce melatonin. Someone else's snoring, alarms going off, or other sounds prevent the nervous system from going into rest mode.

19. Large, fatty meals at night

Overeating is taxing digestive system and makes it difficult to fall asleep. It is better to have dinner early and have a small snack before going to bed so as not to wake up at night from hunger. In cases where the evening appetite overtakes you and you find it difficult to cope with it, use the tips that we gave in another article.

20. Caffeine

It stimulates the nervous system, so after lunch, tea, coffee and energy drinks It's better to refuse.

Chronic lack of sleep cannot be ignored, as it can lead to serious health problems. We need to find out its causes and find ways to eliminate them. If the cause of lack of sleep cannot be identified, you should consult a general practitioner, as this may be a symptom of a serious illness.

In this article we will look at the main symptoms and consequences of sleep deprivation in men, women, children and adolescents. Let's analyze the causes of chronic lack of sleep and what to do in such a situation.

The most common symptoms of sleep deprivation are fatigue and decreased performance. Reducing sleep time even by 1.5 hours significantly reduces memory performance.

nausea;
fainting;
dizziness;
headache;
chills;
heartache;
obesity;
pressure;
depression.

Due to lack of sleep, the brain begins to work in its own mode. Scientists have found that the lack of hormones produced during sleep affects metabolism, and as a result, blood pressure. Then everything happens along the chain. If your blood pressure rises, you will definitely get a headache. There is a feeling of depression and even fear. Due to a decrease in sleep time, obesity may occur: the feeling of hunger increases, and the hormone responsible for metabolism decreases. An imbalance occurs that leads to weight gain.

However, not only this can lead to overweight. Lack of sleep and alcohol are the most true friends obesity, because alcoholic drinks contained great amount calories. As you know, calories are energy, which sometimes can be too much and the body simply cannot cope with it.

Long-term active work and a small amount of sleep affect the general condition of a person. Without enough rest, you may feel nauseous or dizzy. If you don’t get enough sleep in the next few hours, you could end up fainting and even lead to hypertension, heart attack or stroke. Decreased sleep leads to a reduction in melatonin, which is produced at night. As a result, the skin ages and the first signs of sleep deprivation appear – bags under the eyes.

Men and women are equally susceptible to sleep deprivation. The consequence of this lifestyle can be completely different problems.

Lack of sleep in men

The desire to earn money forces many to work two or even three jobs. But as you know, you can’t earn all the money, and you can ruin your health.
Scientists conducted a series of experiments, which revealed the following:

stress leads to lack of sleep, hence heart disease, which claims thousands of lives;
lack of sleep contributes to a decrease in the quantity and quality of sperm;
a decrease in sleep time entails a change in mood and a decrease in libido.

Feeling constant fatigue and depression leads to a decrease in potency. The consequence of this is family conflicts and quarrels, which often lead to divorce. Full sleep– your guarantee of healthy sex.

Lack of sleep in women

Just like men, women's lack of sleep is also a cause of family quarrels. Scientists have found that what sleep better for a woman, the brighter her desire to have sex. In addition, the longer the sleep continues, the less conflicted the woman becomes, because she feels rested. As a result of 7–8 hours of sleep, a woman’s body is completely renewed, and in the morning she is ready to conquer new heights.

What to do?

In order to combat lack of sleep, you need to set a clear schedule, deviating from which is strictly prohibited. Only in this case can the expected results be achieved. The following rules must be adhered to:

take daily walks fresh air;
eat right during the day;
try not to drink a lot of liquid before bed;
exclude watching films that can evoke strong emotions;
an hour before bedtime, stop working on the computer and other electronic devices(exception - e-book);
use the bed for its intended purpose: wanted to sleep - came and fell asleep;
go to bed and wake up at the same time.
Choose the right thing to sleep on. Poor quality mattress and pillow may be the only reason bad sleep and chronic lack of sleep. .

By following all these rules, you will forget about lack of sleep, and your life will be filled with new colors.

An adult's sleep duration should be 7-8 hours. This is the time the body needs to full recovery. But how often a couple of hours are not enough to complete all the planned tasks. Naturally, this time is “stolen” at the expense of rest. As a result, there is chronic lack of sleep. What are the health risks of this condition?

What is chronic sleep deprivation?

First, let's figure out what condition can be attributed to this pathology. A person who does not get enough sleep every day for several days or even weeks suffers from sleep deficiency. But talk about chronic pathology It's still too early. Of course he faces first negative signs this phenomenon. But chronic lack of sleep manifests itself in all its glory when a person limits his rest for several months.

A study was recently conducted at the University of Texas. It showed that residents who did not receive required quantity sleep, had genetic changes. Such violations lead to the development serious problems with health. This is a disease of memory loss.

Therefore, people who sleep 6 hours a night, and sometimes less, should be aware of the serious risks to which they expose their body.

Reasons for constant lack of sleep

Both internal and external factors can lead to insufficient night rest. TO internal reasons include a variety of psychological or physiological problems. And the external ones are various circumstances, which do not allow you to go to bed on time or have a full rest.

Let's consider the most basic factors that most often lead to such a phenomenon as chronic lack of sleep.

Reasons for poor quality night rest:

Stress. This is the most common reason for inadequate rest. The nature of insomnia may be due to unpleasant memories, problems at work or in personal life, financial or financial. These factors lead to a decrease in the production of melatonin in the body. Instead, the synthesis of adrenaline increases. It is this that leads to overexcitation of the nervous system and provokes problems with falling asleep.
Mental illnesses. Sometimes insomnia is a symptom of various abnormalities. It may indicate the development of psychosis, neurosis, manic disorder, prolonged depression.
Physiological ailments. Very often they cause insomnia in older people. Although even children are not protected from such pathologies. Diseases can worsen in the evening or at night. It gets in the way falling asleep quickly. Sometimes unpleasant symptoms make you wake up at night. Most often, chronic lack of sleep occurs against the background of the following diseases: diathesis, enuresis, angina pectoris, syndrome restless legs, hormonal imbalance, joint disease (arthrosis, arthritis), hypertension, obstructive apnea.
Failure of biological rhythms. All human systems are designed in such a way that between approximately 8 and 10 pm the processes occurring in the body begin to slow down. This causes the person to relax and fall asleep. If long time this moment is ignored and the person does not go to bed at the proper time, then a violation occurs biological rhythm. As a result, a person tosses and turns in bed for a long time and cannot sleep.

Main symptoms

With chronic sleep deprivation, the person’s condition is a bit like alcohol intoxication. Such a person is drowsy, she may experience hallucinations and even confusion.

Doctors are examining this state as a disease - sleep disorder. The body is not able to fully recover. This leads to a number of negative violations. First of all, it is reflected in appearance, general condition and a person’s character is chronic lack of sleep.

Symptoms affecting the nervous system:

inattention;
depression and apathy;
irritability;
increased emotionality (unreasonable tears or inappropriate laughter);
inability to concentrate;
decreased cognitive abilities (thinking, speech, memory).

Signs of lack of sleep that affect your appearance:

swelling of the eyelids;
redness of the whites of the eyes;
pale or sallow skin color;
education dark circles under the eyes;
Quite unkempt looking.

Symptoms affecting body systems:

dizziness, headache;
deterioration in functioning digestive tract(diarrhea, constipation);
nausea, flatulence;
exacerbation of chronic ailments;
decreased immunity;
susceptibility to colds.

What does lack of sleep lead to?

This condition is quite dangerous. After all, the body may try to compensate for the lack of rest. In other words, a person can fall asleep at any moment, regardless of whether he is at work or driving.

However, this is not the only one negative factor, which can result from chronic lack of sleep. The consequences of neglecting rest for a long time can be much more serious.

Doctors, having carefully studied this condition, claim that chronic lack of sleep can provoke:

stroke;
obesity;
diabetes;
serious memory impairment (up to loss of brain tissue);
weakening of the immune system;
the appearance of heart disease;
breast or intestinal cancer;
hypertensive crisis;
chronic fatigue syndrome;
the appearance of depression.

Now, knowing what chronic lack of sleep leads to, let's look at how to get rid of this condition.

Choose a mattress with medium firmness.
Use a low pillow.
Underwear and bed linen should be made from natural fabrics.
Eliminate irritating factors(clock ticking, draft, flashing electronic sensor).
Avoid watching movies or reading negative books before bed.
3-4 hours before rest, give up caffeine-containing products (energy drinks, tea, coffee).
2 hours before bedtime, do not eat heavy, fatty foods.
Go to bed no later than 10-11 pm.

Basic treatment methods

If all the symptoms indicate that you have developed chronic sleep deprivation, what should you do in this situation? Initially, the cause of this condition should be eliminated.

In most cases it is enough following measures to improve your sleep quality:

Eliminate daytime naps completely.
Try to move more during the day (walk, play sports).
Before resting, carry out procedures that can eliminate nervous tension(watching humorous films, calm music,
Be sure to ventilate your bedroom before going to bed.
Try to go to bed at the same time.
Do not use alcohol to fall asleep. It provides heavy and superficial rest.

If chronic lack of sleep is based on psychological or physiological problems, then you need to turn to professionals. Those people who do not have obvious reasons for poor quality sleep should undergo a full examination.

Folk remedies

Ancient recipes should not be ignored.

Falling asleep and proper rest can be ensured by the following means:

Peony tincture (10%). It is recommended to use it three times a day, 30 drops for 1 month.
Green tea with honey. It should be consumed daily, preferably before bed.
Warm milk with added honey. This is another one excellent remedy, normalizing night sleep. It is recommended to drink 1 glass of the drink before bed.

If all the methods described above do not help you relax, you may need special drug treatment. Therefore, consult a doctor who will select adequate therapy.

Most people suffer from chronic lack of sleep, despite the fact that everyone is well aware of the consequences of constant lack of sleep. When a person gets enough sleep, his body is relaxed and takes a break from everything that has accumulated during the day.

But when you constantly lack sleep, fatigue will gradually accumulate. And this cannot be allowed, because soon it can lead to irritability, laziness, stress, and therefore depression. Next you will find out what it is chronic lack of sleep– symptoms and treatment.

Often the reason for lack of sleep is that a person cannot properly plan his time, distribute work and rest time. Women may be bothered by frequent phone conversations with friends or a lot of household chores.

Men spend most of their time working, after which they can help their wife around the house or look after their child, for example. But for some reason, when all the work is completed, the man does not go to bed, but watches TV or sits at the computer.

During the student years, lack of sleep accompanies the student almost constantly, especially during the session, here all the reasons are clear. Very small amount people suffer from lack of sleep due to any diseases that may be associated with problems during sleep.

What can lack of sleep lead to?

If you haven’t slept at least one night, then immediately after waking up you will not feel very good, and then worse: no matter what you undertake, everything will go awry, everything will fall out of your hands, and it will not be easy to think.

If a person has had enough sleep, he will be positive, very energetic and active throughout the day, and his mood will not let him down either. He will definitely achieve any goal.

Lack of sleep leads to problems with thinking; most likely, in the head of a sleep-deprived person, the only thought will be about how to quickly go to bed. Attentiveness decreases, activity also decreases, so you will have to spend more energy even on everyday activities.

Memory problems even appear; new impressions during the day cannot be processed and assimilated due to fatigue; the process would go faster if you got enough sleep.

They stay in your head for quite a long time, but still, most of the events are forgotten. And remembered events will gradually fade from memory.

This fatigue due to lack of night rest leads to bad mood. When fatigue becomes chronic, the psyche cannot withstand such stress for long; in the end, one can only expect breakdown or depression. Chronic lack of sleep can also lead to neurosis.

What to do to get rid of lack of sleep?

Some people avoid sleep deprivation by going to bed several hours earlier than usual. But this method is not suitable for everyone, because nervous system She is very tense and cannot relax quickly, so she will have to lie in bed for a very long time, only then will she be able to fall asleep.

Most people work all week with little to no rest; they expect to relax and get a good night's sleep on the weekend. And in common days drink coffee immediately after sleep to make it easier and faster to get out of bed sleepy state. Of course, these actions cannot replace normal daily rest.

To get rid of constant fatigue, review your daily routine. Adjust it so that there is enough time for a normal night's rest.

The main rules to help you have a good night's rest: a couple of hours before bedtime, stop watching TV, working or playing on the computer, it is better to read a book before going to bed.

Don't worry about it unnecessary problems, try to forget for a while about all the day's affairs. Don't worry about any unfinished tasks from the past day. This will not correct the situation, it is better to gain strength and do everything after have a nice rest. Let your brain relax, this will make it easier to fall asleep.

Some simple tips that will help you fall asleep quickly and gain strength during the night:

drink a glass in the evening warm milk, it is better to add honey to it;
Ventilate your apartment or your room before going to bed; fresh air is necessary for relaxation;
take a walk every day, especially an evening walk is good for the body.

Those who constantly work with their heads should definitely know that after a long period of intellectual work they need to switch to physical work. Take up fitness, for example, or jogging. But do not forget that training should end several hours before bedtime.

Take a break!

The content of the article:

Sleep is a time when a person is in complete calm and balance. It is after a good rest in the morning that we feel invigorated and begin our business with renewed vigor. It is a known fact that a person spends a third of his life sleeping. This indicates the need for night rest for the full functioning of the whole body.

Too active rhythm of life modern man, the stress that constantly surrounds you affects not only the quality of sleep, but also its duration. After all, everyone knows that if you fall asleep too late and wake up early, this greatly affects both a person’s performance and his health.

We have all heard more than once about people who are workaholics or those who have to work at night. Oddly enough, such people soon get used to this regime, but in fact it has a very negative effect on their health. For example, the human brain suffers first of all, because when there is a lack of sleep, it begins to “live its own life,” which does not go unnoticed and is expressed in the form of stress, depression, etc. All human organs and systems begin to suffer, since the brain is the main link in their healthy functioning.

In general, a person should sleep at least 8 hours, but these indicators may vary, since a person’s character plays a big role. For example, energetic and communicative people only need 6 hours of sleep and they feel invigorated. People melancholic type, who have such character traits as thoroughness and slowness, need 9 hours of night rest.

How is sleep beneficial?

We all know that sleep is very useful and necessary for us. But what actually happens to a person during sleep? It is a known fact that a person grows in his sleep. This is explained by the fact that only at night the body produces growth hormone - serotonin. Another hormone is also produced - prolactin, which is responsible for the production breast milk in nursing women. Probably women infants Have you noticed how much milk is released at night? In addition, night sleep is a time when all organs work at a slower pace, which gives them the opportunity to recover and work intensively during the day.

As for immunity, it protective functions also increase during sleep. After all, during this period the body produces all necessary substances in order to cope with an infection or virus. Therefore, even during a cold, sleep is the best medicine.

Consequences of lack of sleep

Excess weight. Lack of sleep greatly affects your metabolism. Therefore, its main reason is not only excess weight, but also obesity. It is not uncommon to see that people who work at night have problems with overweight more often than those people whose working hours are during the day.
Disorders in the cardiovascular system. As a rule, a person who does not get enough sleep has a very busy work schedule. That is why he does not have enough time for proper rest. But prolonged work without rest exhausts a person, he can feel headache, nausea, and if he doesn't get some sleep soon, it could end in fainting or worse, a heart attack or stroke.
Deterioration of skin condition. With a lack of sleep, the body's production of the hormone melatonin decreases. As a result, the skin becomes dry, rashes, wrinkles and bags under the eyes appear. Therefore, to maintain youthful skin, it is very important to get enough sleep.
Lack of sleep negatively affects reproductive system, both women and men. Everything leads to stress, as a result of which men experience a decrease in libido and a decrease in potency. In women, this affects primarily the mood on which her sexual desire depends.
Inadequate sleep can lead to such serious illness as diabetes. After all, many experiments were carried out, during which it turned out: regular lack of sleep significantly exceeds the blood glucose level.
A person who regularly does not sleep at night becomes lethargic and inattentive. In addition, his times of sleepiness and wakefulness are reversed. This could be the reason serious mistakes at work. For example, there are times when, after night shifts, medical workers made big mistakes, which sometimes led to death. Therefore, after night work a person must rest to regain strength.
Lack of sleep or sleep disturbance is also in rare cases may cause to hallucinations. After all, if a person gets little rest, it affects his brain, as a result, constant voltages and he perceives the stage of wakefulness as a malfunction. This is why various disturbances in thinking and memory can occur, including amnesia.

Listing different consequences There is a huge list of things that lack of sleep can lead to. All these problems are just small part of what might happen. Therefore, think about whether your health is worth such sacrifices.

What to do to get enough sleep?

First of all, in order to get enough sleep, it is important to establish daily schedule which must be strictly adhered to. It will help you properly allocate time for work and rest. When planning your daily routine, it is also important to adhere to the following rules:

The quality of sleep is affected by what we eat during the day. It is advisable not to accustom yourself to eating dry food, but not to be lazy and prepare yourself a full meal. After all, if the body receives useful material, it will have more energy. Also, very often the cause of lack of sleep is taking too much large quantity heavy food. The body, instead of resting, must spend strength and energy processing food. It’s not for nothing that they say that you can’t eat after 18.00, because this concerns not only your figure, but also your health in general.
You should also not drink a lot of liquid before going to bed. This may be the reason why you toss and turn all night.
It's good to take a short walk in the fresh air before going to bed. As you know, fresh air has a good effect on sleep, and in the morning you will feel full of energy.
Before going to bed, you should not watch movies or read books that will cause strong emotional stress or fear. On the contrary, you can watch a funny movie or listen to relaxing music. As you know, there is a special set of melodies that have a positive effect on a person’s sleep.
If you have urgent matters that you plan to finish at night, give up this idea. It is best to go to bed early and begin these tasks in the morning with renewed vigor.
The place where you relax is very important. For example, a pillow, a mattress, and even soft linen should be of high quality.
The quality of sleep and its duration are greatly influenced by air temperature. In the bedroom it should not be more than +18 degrees.

It would seem that a simple lack of sleep can lead to such dangerous consequences. Of course, if you only sometimes have problems with sleep, this is normal, because everyone tends to sometimes not sleep, worrying about something, or vice versa, worrying about something. important event. remember, that dangerous lack of sleep will be in cases where it is regular. Such sleep disorders may cause serious illnesses. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to undergo examination by a somnologist. Before you chase money or a career, think about it: no money or status is worth your health. Therefore, it is very stupid to neglect what is the main value in life.

One of the most devastating consequences lack of sleep in this video: