Chronic sleep deprivation - symptoms and treatment. Chronic lack of sleep: symptoms and 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 to fully rest to modern man.

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

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
  • set excess weight
  • decreased libido
"The consequences of lack of sleep are many, ranging from elementary violation daily routine, and ending with 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 simple measures will help to cope with), 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 stresses the 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.

Lack of sleep leads to a number of dangerous consequences. A person who does not get enough sleep on a regular basis not only feels a loss of strength, but his chronic diseases, as well as the emergence of new serious diseases.

IN modern world Lack of sleep is a problem for many people, including of different ages. Adults suffer from insomnia due to constant stress. Young people experience symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation because they have fun, study, and work. However, despite the crazy rhythm of our time, it is extremely important not to miss the signals from the body that indicate that you need proper rest, otherwise you can earn a whole bunch of medical problems in the future.

What does lack of sleep lead to?

Consequences

Let's look at the main consequences of chronic lack of sleep. Night entertainment, internet, TV shows - modern society stays awake almost around the clock. However, only recently have we begun to realize what harmful effects Lack of sleep is hidden behind such a rhythm of life. Irritability, drowsiness, absent-mindedness, lethargy - these are just the beginnings. Scientists have concluded that lack of sleep increases the risk of such dangerous diseases such as diabetes, oncology, ischemic disease heart disease, obesity, etc.

Doctors say that lack of sleep leads to a malfunction of all body functions, which, due to its biological structure I just can't adapt to it. Despite the fact that for a good rest different people We need different amounts of time to sleep; the risk of disease increases sharply if we sleep less than 6-7 hours a day.

Experts insist that daily sleep person should be 7-9 hours.

In one of the recent clinical trials It has been confirmed that sleeping less than 6 hours significantly increases the risk of early death. The fact is that with a lack of sleep, stress hormones are intensely released, and the arterial pressure, which is an important risk factor for stroke and heart attack. In addition, in the blood of regularly sleep-deprived people there is increased amount inflammatory mediators, which also increases risks.

In addition, people who are forced to work at night are especially susceptible to colon and breast cancer. This fact is caused artificial lighting, which reduces the secretion of melatonin in the human body, which suppresses the growth of tumor cells.

Experts also came to the conclusion that even a slight lack of sleep provokes a disruption in the metabolism of hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, which are responsible for our appetite. Since the human body is genetically programmed in such a way that staying awake at night is justified only in two cases: when it is necessary to protect yourself from danger or to obtain food, a person who is awake at night often finds himself in front of an open refrigerator. Easy, but regular lack of sleep negatively affects even completely healthy and young people. If a person does not get enough sleep for 2-3 hours a day for a week, his body will absorb carbohydrates worse, which will automatically reduce his resistance to stress. Against this background, hormonal abnormalities may develop, which will significantly weaken the immune system.

Longer periods of regular sleep deprivation may cause changes endocrine function and metabolism, which is similar to the effect early aging. With chronic lack of sleep, the body's ability to absorb glucose sharply deteriorates, which leads to increased insulin production. Excess insulin, in turn, can trigger the development of diabetes and also increases the risk of hypertension and obesity.

Conclusion

As you can see, regular lack of sleep has a very detrimental effect on the condition of our bodies. Therefore, you should not save time by good sleep, which will help you renew your strength, maintain youth and health. Pleasant dreams!

At modern rhythm In life, adequate sleep for some people turns from a daily ritual into an unattainable dream. Constantly waking up to the alarm clock and going to rest late at night lead to the development of chronic sleep deprivation. For some, this lifestyle is a necessity, while others reduce the total duration of sleep to please their hobbies. In both cases, lack of sleep is very dangerous to health and can lead to the development of serious diseases.

Definition

Chronic sleep deprivation is understood as a condition in which a person finds himself due to a systematic lack of sleep or poor quality of rest. First, there is a decrease in activity and severe fatigue. On next stage As the disease progresses, constant irritability and soreness come. If insomnia persists for more than six months, it worsens chronic diseases, general state health deteriorates, productivity falls, reducing quality of life.

Ignoring the problem for a long period of time leads to decreased immunity and dysfunction various systems body. At the first signs of chronic sleep deprivation, it is necessary to find and eliminate the causes of this phenomenon.

Causes

Traditionally, the main reason for lack of sleep is considered to be too much sleep. active image life. In fact, the inability to manage time leads to constant fatigue. A person tries to perform a large amount of work every day, although he should divide his responsibilities by day and pay attention to all aspects of life. In addition, lack of rest develops due to a number of other reasons.

An overexcited state of the central nervous system, resulting from psychological or physiological disorders, leads to increased activity and inability to sleep. Even if a person manages to go to bed, his rest will be superficial and of poor quality.

  • Poor nutrition

Timely reception proper food provides positive influence to all systems of the body. If dinner takes place more than 4 hours before bedtime and contains difficult-to-digest foods, it will not be easy to fall asleep. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in many homes it is customary to wash down any meal with tea or coffee containing large quantity caffeine, which completely “drives away” sleep.

  • Child syndrome

Probably every parent has at least once noticed a failure of the child’s biological clock when during the day increased drowsiness interferes active games, and at night the baby has difficulty falling asleep. The same can happen to an adult.

  • Bad habits

Alcohol consumption, narcotic drugs and smoking have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. Because of this, sleep does not come for a long time. Although there are times when in a state of strong alcohol intoxication the person quickly falls asleep, but his sleep is superficial and intermittent.

  • Discomfort

It can be caused by an incorrect microclimate, some diseases, lack of space, an uncomfortable bed and other reasons. All this negatively affects the speed of falling asleep and the quality of rest.

That is, there are many reasons for the development of lack of sleep. The fight against a disease necessarily includes finding and getting rid of the source bad sleep, not just treating symptoms.

Features of lack of sleep in representatives of different sexes

The causes of sleep disturbance in men and women are usually different, as is the mechanism of the disease itself. Representatives of the fairer sex are more susceptible emotionally, so their lack of sleep is often associated with some psychological problems. Typically, this ailment is characterized by a protracted course and complex treatment.

Men suffer from lack of sleep most often due to some external problems, for example, difficulties at work or sudden changes in life. Interestingly, when a child appears in the home, it is usually the father who develops sleep deprivation. The mother soon emotionally detaches herself from the difficulties associated with the baby and adjusts her daily routine to the child’s routine.

Symptoms

  • Signs of lack of sleep are obvious

Lack of sleep causes redness eyeballs, swelling of the eyelids, blue circles under the eyes. Sickly pale and unkempt appearance- faithful companions of lack of sleep.

  • From the nervous system

A person needs proper rest, since it is in deep phase All body systems are restored, including the nervous system. If the quality of sleep is low, a slow reaction will soon make itself felt, increased irritability, impulsive actions, aggression.

  • Other symptoms

One of the first signs of organ failure gastrointestinal tract– nausea from lack of sleep, which appears already on the 2-3rd day of lack of rest. Further, immunity decreases, vision deteriorates, and chronic diseases worsen. More than 80% of patients with insufficient sleep experience uncontrolled weight gain and premature aging.

If any symptoms are detected, you should start self-treatment or consult a doctor.

Psychological consequences

From a psychological point of view, an unkempt appearance and constant drowsiness- not the worst consequences of lack of sleep. When destructive changes occur in the human nervous system, the brain suffers. Blood circulation in the frontal cortex deteriorates significantly, which leads to such negative reactions How:

  • Short-term memory loss;
  • Inability to think logically;
  • Frequent dizziness;
  • Decreased concentration.

With prolonged lack of sleep, serious mental disorders, which leads to the development of depression, neurosis, and attacks of aggression. Doctors advise such patients home treatment, refusal to drive a car and perform professional duties related to difficult or dangerous work.

Physiological consequences

With a lack of rest, the body is subjected to severe stress, which causes hormonal disbalance. Ultimately, this leads to excess weight gain. Interestingly, the kilograms are put off, despite the fact that a person feels sick from lack of sleep.

The paradox is explained simply - since the body works at a slow pace, the absorption of glucose decreases. Wherein increased production The hunger hormone forces you to frequently consume high-calorie foods. As a result, excess energy goes into fat deposits.

Due to constant stress, pressure in the blood vessels increases. Pathologies of cardio-vascular system develop slowly, but do not manifest themselves until the critical moment. In the zone increased danger There are hypertensive people, since their likelihood of having a stroke is much higher than for hypotensive people or people with normal blood pressure.

Disruption of normal blood flow leads to constant dizziness and even fainting due to oxygen and glucose starvation. Body temperature rises from lack of sleep, so a person confuses lack of rest with developing cold or the flu, and starts incorrect treatment, which only makes the situation worse.

IN medical practice there is evidence that if a person does not sleep at all, then in 7-10 days he will experience death. Of course, the risk of mortality with systematic sleep deprivation is lower than with complete lack of sleep, but it still exceeds normal value by 300%.

Treatment

If sleep deprivation has just begun to develop, then it is not necessary to see a doctor, since the disease is highly treatable. For this it is enough:

  • Normalize your daily routine;
  • Spend more time in the air to enrich the body with oxygen;
  • Equip sleeping area comfortable;
  • Eliminate daytime naps;
  • Refuse bad habits and switch to a healthy lifestyle.

But if the symptoms of the disease appear constantly, you need to find out how to treat chronic lack of sleep. It is best to contact your primary care physician. After laboratory examination, he will clarify the specifics of the disease and will be able to redirect to more qualified specialist on this issue. If you want to speed up the process, you can immediately make an appointment with a neurologist, since in most cases it is he who helps cope with sleep disorders.

Experts identify several methods to combat sleep deprivation:

  • Medications

Can be presented as lungs sleeping pills or powerful tranquilizers, which are prescribed depending on the level of complexity of the disease. Medicines are prescribed if the basis of the disease lies in nervous disorder, emotional or psychological instability.

  • Folk remedies

IN difficult cases are used as auxiliary, and in simple cases - as the main means of treatment. Baths with relaxing herbs and light sedative teas can normalize sleep phases and improve the quality of rest.

  • Massage

It is necessary when there is severe tightness in the muscle corset, especially in the neck and shoulders. Treatment course will allow you to relieve excess stress and relax. It is best to perform this procedure immediately before bed or a few hours before it.

Any drug therapy comprises integrated approach, which includes normalizing the daily routine and maintaining sleep hygiene. Without these components everything additional measures will not bring results.

Possible complications

Many people don't realize that lack of sleep leads to health problems. The effects of lack of sleep on the body can be varied.

  • Decreased potency in men

Hormonal imbalance leads to a decrease in testosterone production by approximately 15%, which negatively affects sexual function and quality intimate life. Naturally, this leads to even greater psychological problems.

  • Frequent illnesses

A general decrease in immunity makes the body unprotected against viruses and bacteria. As a result, a person begins to get sick often. If lack of sleep is associated with problems at work, then you need to remember that constant sick leave is unlikely to have a positive impact on your career.

  • Decreased vision

Overvoltage optic nerve leads to swelling. Intracranial pressure increases, destructive processes in the vessels are observed, which leads to a significant loss of visual acuity.

  • Diabetes

Problems with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and glucose absorption increase the risk of developing diabetes. Particular caution should be exercised by people with a predisposition to the disease.

  • Shortened life expectancy

Statistics show that people who have normalized their daily routine live, as a rule, longer persons with insomnia. At the same time, even sleeping pills do not help prolong life.

  • Oncological diseases

During sleep, the body actively produces melatonin, which suppresses the production cancer cells in certain organs. Lack of proper rest leads to decreased melatonin production and an increased risk of developing cancer.

This is the most frequent complications which are diagnosed in patients with chronic lack of sleep. Knowing the dangers of lack of sleep can help prevent the development of pathological processes and improve your quality of life by strictly following proper routine day.

Healthy sleep will best help hide the signs of lack of sleep on your face. To improve it, doctors advise:

  • Temporarily introduce a daytime rest of 1-1.5 hours into your daily routine;
  • Stop using electronic equipment 1.5-2 hours before going to bed at night.

Systematic exercise will also help improve your sleep quality. physical exercise, maintaining an optimal indoor microclimate, sufficient oxygen and following proper nutrition. All these measures will help prevent the development of sleep deprivation or cure it. initial stage, in order to exclude serious complications and return high quality life.

Watch video: Chronic fatigue | Great Leap

Sleep is an integral part of a person’s life, helping him to fully restore his strength after a hard day at work. Each of us should sleep on average 8 hours a day, and 2 of them should be during the day. But the crazy pace of life does not allow us to sleep as much as we should. Some people, due to work or other life circumstances, are forced to sacrifice their sleep in order to solve problems and complete some task in a timely manner. This is how lack of sleep occurs, the dangers of which we will discuss in detail in this article.

Every third person living on planet Earth does not get enough sleep. This is evidenced by Canadian scientists who conduct special studies regarding the impact of the deficiency healthy sleep on mental activity person.

Researchers name several reasons why a person may not get enough sleep:

  • prolonged communication by phone or on social networks;
  • prolonged viewing of a film, TV show or some series on TV or via the Internet;
  • playing computer games;
  • caring for a small child;
  • work and study;
  • a disease that causes a person to develop insomnia;
  • unhealthy lifestyle (night gatherings with friends or acquaintances in bars, restaurants and clubs);
  • improper preparation for bed - eating right before bed, drinks containing caffeine, poorly ventilated room, uncomfortable bed and pillow.

The reasons, as you can see, are banal and at the same time obvious. Each of us will probably recognize ourselves by familiarizing ourselves with the factors that contribute to lack of sleep. We have the power to get rid of them - to do this, we just need to reconsider our work schedule and give up habits that, in fact, are the traps of our time.

By depriving ourselves of proper sleep, we set the wrong rhythm for our body:

  • immunity decreases
  • substances that fight viruses and infections are not released
  • Serotonin, the hormone of joy, is not produced
  • All internal organs start working slowly

Symptoms of sleep deprivation

How to understand that you are not getting enough sleep. There are many symptoms that indicate that you are sorely lacking sleep in your life:

  1. When you wake up every morning, you still feel tired and sleepy. This state accompanies you all day.
  2. From lack of sleep, the eyes become red, watery and begin to hurt very much. They burst blood vessels due to overwork.
  3. Lack of sleep causes bruises under the eyes bluish spots indicating tired eyes and poor circulation.
  4. The skin of the face becomes pale.
  5. A person from lack of sleep constantly has a headache from morning to evening, while it is constantly dizzy, as a result of which a person can lose consciousness.
  6. Some people may feel nauseous due to lack of proper sleep, because the digestive organs begin to work incorrectly.
  7. Blood pressure from lack of sleep increases especially in those who suffer from vegetative-vascular dystonia.
  8. The thinking process develops more slowly, as a result of which performance and productivity decrease.
  9. The person looks depressed and becomes overly irritable.
  10. Body temperature may rise sharply from lack of sleep, and false symptoms colds, But the real reason will be hidden in a banal lack of proper sleep.

Some feel all or only some of the above symptoms of sleep deprivation only temporarily, but for others they become a painful way of life because sleep deprivation becomes chronic. Next, we will talk in detail about what it is and how it is dangerous for human health and life.

Chronic lack of sleep

We can only talk about chronic sleep deprivation when it becomes permanent. If you haven’t slept properly for a week, month or several months, this is not yet a disease. Lack of sleep turns into an illness when a person experiences the following:

  • He behaves as if he were drunk - he has a confused mind, hallucinations appear, he does not know what he is saying, he can fall asleep on the go.
  • Slow reaction and equally weak thought process. Everything happens for a person as if in a fog, and he is completely unaware of it.
  • People who are faced with chronic lack of sleep work poorly, study poorly, and constantly make mechanical mistakes, not because they don’t know something, but because their brain is not working properly. Their attention span decreases and they cannot concentrate.
  • Due to chronic lack of sleep, a person becomes depressed, feels constantly tired and drowsy.

Chronic lack of sleep leads to dangerous consequences for life and health. We will transfer you general consequences, what lack of sleep leads to, and we will also characterize why it is specifically dangerous for women and men.

What are the consequences of lack of sleep for a person?

Can a person die from lack of sleep? Of course not, because he still makes time for sleep at least a few hours a day. However, due to lack of sleep, accidents may occur and fatal diseases may develop, which will cause the death of a person.

We will list you the main problems that may arise due to constant lack of sleep:

  1. will appear overweight. Scientists conducted a study observing women who slept less than 5 hours a day. They discovered that these representatives of the fair sex began to gain weight very quickly for this reason. After all, due to lack of sleep, the hormones ghrelin and leptin are not produced correctly - they are responsible for saturating the body. A person is so hungry all the time that he constantly wants to eat.
  2. A person ages faster because he does not properly produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for neutralizing devastating consequences oxidative processes. This consequence of lack of sleep affects women most of all. If a lady goes to bed later than 2 am (at this time the peak of melatonin production occurs), then her skin will begin to quickly fade.
  3. If you don't get enough sleep, your risk of colon cancer increases. The reason for this also lies in the improper production of melatonin. Evidence of this statement was presented to the world by American experts Medical Center"Case" in 2011.
  4. Those who sleep less than 6 hours a night are at risk of getting sick diabetes mellitus, even if they do not have this disease genetic predisposition. The fact is that due to insufficient sleep, fasting glycemia is disrupted, as a result of which the body cannot regulate blood sugar levels.

  1. Those who don't sleep enough have an increased risk of developing glaucoma, the most common cause of blindness. A person can suddenly wake up one morning and become blind either in one eye or in both. And if intracranial blood pressure increases sharply, then edema will occur optic nerve which will accompany blindness severe pain and incurability.
  2. The worst consequence of lack of sleep for men is a decrease in... men's health. Testosterone begins to be poorly produced in the blood, a man not only loses sexual desire and potency, but also begins to age much faster.
  3. Due to lack of sleep, a person begins to become stupid. His level of intelligence decreases, he becomes absent-minded. Such people cannot qualify for career growth because they become unable to think creatively and work effectively.
  4. A person who does not get enough sleep is highly susceptible to depressive disorders. This is especially true for teenagers whose psyche is just developing.

Lack of sleep: what to do?

If you don't get enough sleep and you know it well, then it's time for you to take concrete measures to avoid all the above-mentioned consequences for your health. Here's what you can do yourself:

  • Take a walk every day fresh air. It is especially useful to take a walk in the evening, shortly before going to bed.
  • Try to eat right - eat only healthy food often and fractionally.
  • Don't drink a lot of water or other liquids in the afternoon. This is especially true for drinks that tone you up.
  • Avoid watching movies before bed that can overwhelm you and affect your sleep.
  • Try to go to bed at the same time every day so that you wake up at the same time - this is very important point for the functioning of internal organs.
  • Buy quality bedding – you should be comfortable on your bed and pillow.
  • Get rid of all bad habits, because they have a very negative effect on a person’s sleep.
  • Don't forget that an important part of life healthy person is physical education. Play sports or at least run in the evenings or mornings.

Adequate sleep is the key to vivacity and Have a good mood. Everything in our lives depends on it, although some do not even attach importance to how much time they sleep per day. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, go to a neurologist or therapist. These doctors will tell you what medications to take to normalize your sleep pattern.

Video: “Lack of sleep. The terrible consequences of lack of sleep"

Chronic lack of sleep– serious stress for the body. The condition develops if for a long time a person sleeps for an insufficient number of hours to fully restore the body. As a result, this can lead to constant fatigue, decreased performance and other unpleasant conditions.

Causes of chronic sleep deprivation

Chronic sleep deprivation is a consequence of the lack of regular, full night sleep, during which the body has the opportunity to recover. As a result, the person suffers from severe fatigue.

Conventionally, doctors identify two types of factors - internal and external - that prevent you from getting enough sleep as a result of not getting enough sleep. required quantity night sleep. The environment can have a similar effect on the body ( external factor) and psychological/physiological problems (internal factor).

Potential causes may include:

  • sleeping in an unusual, new place;
  • uncomfortable bed;
  • stuffy room.

Stress

The causes of sleep deprivation are numerous. One of the most common, having a very Negative influence stress affects the body in both women and men. Without the opportunity to get a full night's sleep, a person feels a gradually increasing nervous excitability, which only makes the situation worse.

A typical symptom of chronic sleep deprivation in this case is overwork.

Mental illness

Constant lack of sleep may be a consequence of the influence of various mental illness. Many of the pathologies are accompanied increased excitement Central nervous system, which contributes to the development of insomnia (insomnia).

Physical illnesses

Chronic lack of sleep negatively affects a person's immune system. Against this background, the development or exacerbation of various pathologies cannot be ruled out.

Among physical reasons worth highlighting:

  • enuresis (urinary incontinence);
  • persistent increase in blood pressure;
  • joint diseases;
  • restless legs syndrome;
  • angina attacks;
  • hormonal surges.

Insomnia in adolescents is often caused by bedwetting. The fear of wetting oneself interferes with proper sleep.

Disturbance of biological rhythms

Lack of sleep can be a consequence of deviation biological rhythm, which prevents a person from getting enough sleep. In the evening hours, everything slows down important processes and relaxation of the nervous system. The result of the changes is the desire to sleep.

If you ignore this signal and go to bed later, the cycle is disrupted. It is no longer possible for a person to fall asleep right away. In the morning, the body “wakes up”, but due to a lack of sleep at night, it is very problematic for it to tune in to full-fledged work.

When the biological rhythm is disrupted, only a few people get enough sleep.

Symptoms of this condition

Chronic sleep deprivation occurs when a person sleeps too few hours during the day. And the body does not have enough time for a full recovery.

Symptoms of lack of sleep are uncharacteristic and may resemble symptoms of diseases. Signs of the condition can include:

  1. Persistent desire to lie down and sleep. But due to constant fatigue and overwork, it is not possible to fall asleep right away.
  2. Absent-mindedness, decreased performance, inability to concentrate on the action being performed, general weakness.
  3. Violation emotional state– the person becomes apathetic, irritable, nervous. The development of depression is possible.
  4. Loss of consciousness (fainting), hallucinations, difficulties with coordination in space are noted when severe forms lack of sleep.
  5. Decline immune defense, which causes frequent exacerbations of existing chronic diseases, colds.
  6. Slowdown metabolic processes. As a result, active weight gain occurs without change food addictions. In this case there is constant feeling hunger. But sometimes the opposite situation arises - it is noted complete absence appetite.
  7. Local swelling of the limbs, face, pallor skin, appearance dark circles under the eyes.
  8. Dizziness. My head starts to hurt frequently and my blood pressure rises.

The consequences of lack of sleep can manifest itself in work deviations digestive system. It is possible that nausea, bowel movements may occur (a person suffers from constipation or diarrhea), and pain in the stomach.

Lack of sleep is very harmful to the body. And measures to normalize night rest must be taken as early as possible, without waiting for the development of pathological symptoms.

What does this threaten?

The consequences of lack of sleep can be extremely negative. It is possible that serious health problems may arise.

The condition is fraught with the development of such serious illnesses, How:

  • arrhythmia;
  • hypertonic disease;
  • diabetes of both types;
  • erectile disfunction;
  • weight gain and others.

According to medical statistics, the risk of developing a stroke increases fourfold, and oncological pathologies- twice.

It is worth remembering that the need for the amount of sleep varies from person to person.

If in the morning a person wakes up in a good mood and feels cheerful, then this indicates a complete night’s rest, regardless of its duration.

Psychological

Signs of sleep deprivation such as dark circles under the eyes and drowsiness are quite harmless. Lack of night sleep is harmful to your negative impact on the brain, which is especially dangerous for teenagers with their unstable psyche. The circulatory disorder that occurs causes deviations in the functioning of the organ: memory suffers, the ability to build logical chains is impaired, and dizziness is noted.

Doctors constantly talk about the dangers of lack of sleep. Just a day of continuous wakefulness can already trigger processes accompanied by disturbances mental state. A person experiences increased excitability. He becomes nervous and irritated. And the longer the sleepless period, the worse the consequences. Two days without sleep causes disruption neural connections, perception of the surrounding world, major changes hormonal background.

During sleep, the level of hormones responsible for the development of stress decreases to a minimum value. But to complete the process, the body needs to immerse itself in deep dream. If this is regularly absent, then the development of anxiety-depressive disorders is possible.

Physiological

The consequences of lack of sleep for women and men also affect their overall health. physical condition. The appearance of black circles under the eyes is the lesser of all possible evils.

Among the most dangerous consequences, which lead to lack of sleep in adults, it is worth highlighting:

  1. Diseases of the nervous system.
  2. Development of diabetes mellitus.
  3. Gaining excess weight up to severe obesity, which is caused by hormonal imbalance.
  4. Increased stress hormone levels, which affects the condition circulatory system. This is especially dangerous for men with hypertension, since they have the highest risk of stroke.
  5. Decreased immune defense constant fatigue, frequent exacerbations of chronic pathologies.
  6. Headache, dizziness. Development is possible fainting states, which is explained by impaired blood supply to the brain.

Other systems and organs also suffer; in particular, in adolescents the process of producing growth hormone may be disrupted.

The appearance of such symptoms is a signal from the body indicating the need for rest.

How to treat

Since lack of sleep negatively affects health, the condition requires mandatory elimination of the root cause.

To get rid of lack of sleep, doctors recommend: traditional methods, so traditional medicine. Among the popular conservative methods Hypnosis and psychotherapy sessions occupy a special place in treatment. IN severe cases lack of sleep, sedatives are prescribed.

At the core folk recipes lies in the stabilization of the nervous system. Good results gives the use of honey with herbal decoctions that have soothing properties. These are hawthorn fruits, mint and lemon balm herbs. ABOUT quick effect there is no need to say, and this must be taken into account.

Relaxing baths with added herbal infusions, pine needles or essential oils. In simple cases, it helps to fall asleep and do night rest period of full sleep.

In treatment it is allowed to use herbal tinctures with sedative effect– evasive peony, valerian, motherwort. You can purchase them at finished form at any pharmacy.

To avoid complications, in addition to treatment, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

  1. Go to bed at the same time, strictly before midnight. The most physiological time for going to bed is 21.30-22.00. The rise should occur at 6.00-7.00.
  2. During the day you need to move actively and give up sleep. After getting enough sleep during the day, a person has difficulty falling asleep.
  3. Take short walks in the evenings. They should not cause fatigue, otherwise sleep will be restless.
  4. Take warm baths with the addition of a decoction of herbs or a few drops of aromatic ether with a calming effect.
  5. sleep at dark room and in complete silence.
  6. The last meal should take place a couple of hours before going to bed.
  7. In the evening, you should avoid any drinks containing caffeine and alcohol, which stimulate the central nervous system, and reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
  8. The bed should be as comfortable as possible, and the linen should be made of breathable fabrics.
  9. Before going to bed, you should avoid watching television programs that can have a stimulating effect.

If symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation appear, you do not need to wait for the situation to normalize on its own. It is necessary to adjust the daily routine. If this does not bring the expected result, you should contact a specialist.