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Shocking Sleep Deprivation Effects You Need to Know
Do you know about the sleep deprivation effects on your body and mind? I, for instance, didn’t know…
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Do you know about the sleep deprivation effects on your body and mind?
I, for instance, didn’t know until circumstances gave me first-hand experience of the impact of lack of sleep, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say – it was not good!
However, even after having the ‘not good’ feeling, we don’t stop from living an unhealthy lifestyle that most of the time keeps us in the sleep-deprivation mode.
I recently happened to research about the topic of sleep and came across some shocking information about the effects of sleep deprivation.
Believe me, they’re worse than I expected! Honestly, I never took it so seriously ever before.
I knew there are sleep deprivation effects like feeling tired the other day, and having reduced work efficiency. But there seems to be more than meets the eye.
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” ~ Irish Proverb
You need to read my earlier post on why do we sleep, as this post is its continuation with an attempt to create awareness about the shocking sleep deprivation effects that might harm you.
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What is Sleep Deprivation
It is the condition of being deprived of sleep or not having enough sleep. Usually it is the cumulative deficiency of sleep over a period of time.
Everything is alright until the sleep deprivation effects emerge in the form of physical and psychiatric symptoms. Sleep deprivation also affects your emotional behavior and social relations.
Sleeping is a basic requirement and necessity of all human beings and its deprivation can even risk causing death. In fact, sleep deprivation is also used as a form of torture – did you know that? I didn’t!
Sleep deprivation is bad for you, especially if you are writers and bloggers, or people who work late at night. I can see you nodding your head right now!
How many of you sleep late at night or sleep less? I’m sure most of you are guilty there – aren’t you?
You try to sacrifice your sleep time and compensate it to do your work. You believe you’re making better use of the time. But are you really doing that?
Well, well. That’s where you go wrong.
Sleeping is no waste of time. However, being practical about your busy and not-so perfect world, it’s okay occasionally to work overtime and sacrifice a part of your sleep.
I know a lot of bloggers who prefer working late at night, instead of the mornings. That’s because they have a full time job to take care of the in the morning, so find time for blogging only at night.
Or because they prefer the quiet and undisturbed atmosphere at night, that gets their creative juices flowing. I was once like that, but that was a long time ago.
But it becomes a matter of concern if such a practice turns out to be a daily affair or habit. It is then that you face the ugly music of the sleep deprivation effects.
“The feeling of sleepiness when you are not in bed, and can’t get there, is the meanest feeling in the world.” ~ Edgar Watson Howe
Sleep Deprivation Effects That You Don’t Want
Do you know what could happen if you are deprived of sleep? Well, here’s a brief list of things that happen when you sleep less, or don’t sleep for the required number of hours, which you’d like to avoid.
1. You look ugly
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Try this out – compare a photograph of your face when you’re fresh after a good sleep for a few days with the one when you slept less for a few days.
Honestly, tell me what did you notice?
You can make out from the faces of people who are deprived of sleep. They have sore eyes, saggy cheeks, lifeless expression, and dark circles under the eyes.
Not only that, even their skin loses its beauty and sheen. In fact, scientists have researched to prove that sleep deprivation speeds up the ageing process too.
Do you know that sleep restriction increases the stress hormones, or the cortisol levels in the body? This hormone breaks the protein collagen, which helps keep the skin elastic and smooth.
If you want to keep looking beautiful, fresh, and young – have your full quota of sleep, daily.
2. You underperform
Lack of sleep makes you feel exhausted.
If you don’t sleep for a night, or a few nights, you experience the fatigue that’s similar to the one you experience after driving continuously for many hours!
You’re no longer alert, and easily get distracted from whatever you’re doing. Apart from your ability to concentrate, sleep deprivation also adversely affects your cognitive abilities.
In such a situation, you don’t feel like doing anything, and even if you do, you’re not able to put in your heart and mind completely. This reduces your efficiency and productivity a great deal.
You’re left with the minimized ability to do mechanical or routine jobs, and your abstract thinking and creative ability goes for a six.
The only way out is to avoid these sleep deprivation effects.
3. You lose your mind
Of course, not literally, but you experience quite seemingly a similar state of mind. You become confused, disoriented, drowsy, and hallucinated.
You seem to hear and see things, which aren’t there. You get a lightheaded feeling and the world seems to go round.
You find difficulty in concentrating and focusing on a job, and you’re not able to make decisions as you used to. You seem to forget more and suffer from poor memory.
Your subdued mind causes unreasonable changes to your mood. You also become easily frustrated, and even your temper rises rather quickly.
You literally live on the edge, because your mind isn’t stable and you cannot relax. Not to mention that since your anxiety levels remain high, your personal and professional matters tend to suffer.
Your stress threshold level lowers down, and even doing regular and routine tasks seem to overwhelm you.
Remember, if you’re working at an important project – then make it a point to have a good night’s sleep, for it will only do you good in the long run.
4. You risk your life
I don’t know if you’ve heard of such incidents, but I’ve seen and heard about road accidents that happen just because the driver dozed off due to lack of sleep – this is real serious.
One of the most dreaded sleep deprivation effects is excessive daytime sleeplessness, and the major cause of traffic accidents.
In fact, your state after long hours of waking up by avoiding sleep is quite like being under the effect of alcohol.
Slurred voice, drooping eyelids, shaky hands, and uncontrolled reflexive movements are some of the symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol that are similar to a person who is deprived of sleep.
So, as you’re advised not to mix drink and drive, and not drive when drunk, the same applies in the case of lack of sleep.
Never attempt any job that needs you to be alert when you’re under any of the sleep deprivation effects.
The effects of sleep deprivation are not only limited to automotive injuries, but also occupational injuries.
Many accidents happen in factories, mills, and other work places when the workers work continuously avoiding sleep.
If you wish for your safety and long life, make sure you sleep well before you go to work.
5. You develop lifestyle diseases
The sedentary lifestyle invites many diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Chronic sleep deprivation also increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and of course other stress related disorders.
In addition, your immune system too weakens, inviting hordes of harmful organism and diseases to attack your body and infect you.
Keep away from all such lifestyle diseases by sleeping enough. The choice is always in your hands.
6. You become obese
There have been many recent popular researches that point out that sleep deprivation puts you at a greater risk of becoming obese.
Studies suggest that the fat cells in sleep deprived people are less sensitive to insulin, which is a hormone that controls blood sugar.
It’s to be noted that insulin insensitivity is linked to both, diabetes and obesity.
Another theory for weight gain is that sleep deprivation causes less efficient burning of calories, and there is unfavorable variation in eating and exercise habits due to the resulting fatigue.
It has also been found that those who don’t sleep enough tend to eat more calories, which accumulates with time.
Besides this, sleep deprivation cause imbalance of hormones that suppress and stimulate appetite, which eventually leads to increase in food cravings.
So, if you want to stay fit and healthy, and live an ideal lifestyle then check out if you’re really sleeping well.
7. Your sex drive lessens
The sleep deprivation effects are not only related to the professional arena but it even touches the very private aspects of your life.
Your miserable state due to lack of sleep could even cause interpersonal conflicts and other significant problems in a relationship.
This also happens because you’re obsessed with and possessed by work. When you’re engrossed with work all the time – where do you get the time and energy for personal intimacy?
Due to work pressure and anxiety, your adrenaline levels drop while the stress hormone cortisol levels rise up. All the factors combined make you lose interest in sex.
Research even suggests that men with sleep apnea have low testosterone levels, and thus lower libido.
If you want to keep your passions and desires alive, then consider fulfilling your quota of required sleep daily.
8. Your quality of life suffers
Your sullen look, poor performance at work, and an unstable state of mind hit on your self-esteem.
Lack of self-worth, coupled with feelings and thoughts of negativity, makes one’s life miserable. The sleep deprivation effects often fill your life with depression.
Even your growth retards or slows down, as the body releases less growth hormone when you sleep less.
You might miss on life’s wonderful moments by rushing through your life. You might not able to participate in social and family activities, which may rob you of your moments of happiness.
In other words, you no longer have the quality of life you always wanted.
It happened with me once, and I trashed an already published post when I was supposed to update it!
Why – because I hadn’t been sleeping enough for a few nights. All thanks to these sleep deprivation effects that got the better of me.
I confess that I too once practiced such a lifestyle, but an understanding of my body system and its working helped me learn the importance of sleep, which you too can know if you read my earlier post on sleep.
“Sleep is the chain that ties health and our bodies together.” ~ Griff Niblack
So, I hope none of you’re going to be sluggish, groggy, and compromise on your sleep. A solid night’s sleep every day is one of your basic components for a healthy and happy life.
You need to remember that your body and mind are tuned to a specific number of hours of sleep, which can be different for different people.
If you feel that you don’t get enough waking hours to attend to your household chores and office work, then try to plan things ahead in time, and learn the tips for better time management.
Now, stop yawning in front of the computer – this post is not boring, but it’s you who needs some sleep!
Promise me that you WILL take care to sleep early, so that you have the required hours of sleep your body needs. Here’s my little wish for you 🙂
“May sleep envelop you as a bed sheet floating gently down, tickling your skin and removing every worry, reminding you to consider only this moment.” ~ Jeb Dickerson
Over to You –
Have you ever experienced sleep deprivation? What sleep deprivation effects would you add to this post? What resolution do you make hereafter? Share in the comments below.
Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos, 123RF Stock Photos
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Disclaimer: We're not offering any medical advice here. These ideas are for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always seek a professional medical opinion from a physician of your choosing before making any medical decision. The information provided here is not intended to be a substitute to the advice given by your physician or another healthcare professional.
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This is such a common problem that everybody know but hardly anyone do anything about it till it get worsened. The effects of sleep deprivation are very well shared and even i have experienced those.
I would like add another dimension here. 6 hours of sleep at night, preferably early i.e. 11-5, is far far better and refreshing than 10 hours sleep during day time. I have experienced this during the time i used to do the night shifts and believe me, i became very obese.
Hi Harleena,
Thoroughly enjoyed your article.
I’ve struggled throughout the years to sleep regularly.
I’ve a day job that’s not only during the day but also at night sometimes so I’ve not developed a consistency of going to bed at a regular time.
Your research was quite good and I’ve known about some of these effects and it’s why I’ve made it more of a requirement for me to go bed by 10pm.
Thanks again for the valuable insight.
Guy
Thanks Harleena. You covered this suggest very well. I know, as I have spent years with sleep deprivation for a number of reasons.
1.I worked graveyard shifts
2. I have sleep apnea.
3.I had very poor sleep “hygiene”.
4.I had babies.
When I an fairly well rested I do not get sick, but after months of sleep deprivation I will get so sick that I can not function.
It is 1 am. why am I up? My legs and back are spasming. I have to get up and move around.Fortunately, I am able to take naps as I need to now.
Oh my God! really these many effects. I really need to sleep now. Thanks for this article harleena and making me realize about the effects. OK time to sleep for me. Have’ne slept for two days. Bye Thanks again.
Hello Harleena,
Thanks for doing this research. You are amazing and I totally agree with what you have found out. I am guilty of not getting enough rest. I find it hard to fall asleep at times. I know now that there are some effects of this that I never knew existed. Thanks again
Hi Harleena,
You’ve discussed a genuine issue here.A lot of late night accidents occur due to sleep deprivation. Insomnia is a different story but pushing the body to an extent to which the basic functioning haults is definitely scary.
Hello Harleena,
As we already know that you always discuss excellent stuff for us, so thanks for discussing this kind of things with us – secondly, I am completely believe the fact with your factors as I am the one of those who don’t sleep enough so I have observe that I am looking unpleasant and sluggish.. Because of this, I went to a doctor and mentioned with her about my issues such as sensation exhausted etc! Surprising factor is, She did also advise me to sleep enough in night 🙂
Now i have got another reason to sleep late on Sundays! Jokes apart, lack of sleep affects us very badly. I have seen that after sleeping less, i feel exhausted and simply do not feel like working hard. On the other hand, when i sleep well i am full of energy to take on my hectic routine. Thanks for this post.
“You look ugly.” This subhead gave me a chuckle! haha
I’m a stickler for getting my sleep. I rise at 2:30 am to get in my writing before heading out to my day job, so that means I’m in bed dozing by 6:30 pm. People laugh and shake their heads at this, but it’s imperative. The cycle works for me. I hear people say they survive on 5 hours a night. I don’t want to just survive. I want to thrive. So, 6:30 pm is pillow time for this novelist:)
Very true Harleena, these days I’m sleeping less and less every day because of office pressure added to blogging commitments, and I can really tell the toll it is taking on my body.Loved your blog!
Right, it is time to change our points of view about sleep. I’m the one of the chronically tired and i view sleep as a waste of precious time.. No. Have to stop it right now. Thanks for a clue!
Hi Harleena,
You must have put in a lot of efforts in coming up with so many negative points about sleep deprivation!
The one about risking our lives is so true! I remember when my kids were young, I experienced the ‘micro-sleep’ whilst driving! For a very brief moment, I was sleeping whilst driving! Luckily, I only had my car ‘drifted’ to the kerb. Other people may not be as lucky as I was!
Thank you for this wonderful post, Harleena.
Viola Tam – The Business Mum
Hi Leena,
This is a great article. As an RN, I was aware of just about all of these and how they affect your health. The torture one just because I watch too many movies! LOL
After going through cancer treatment, I’ve required more sleep. I know when I’m sleep deprived I don’t operate in any area well. I try to listen to my body and get sleep when I need it. Falling to sleep has always been difficult for me, and a continuous battle. I’ve been known to be up for over 35+ hours and then sleep for 12 hrs. No rhyme or reason to it.
I try to just listen to my body. If laying in bed rolling and tossing too long, I might as well get up and wait till I’m tired. There are times I’m up too long and go past that tired phase into a productive phase without any sleep. Trying to get back on track is important.
Great article. Thanks for sharing. Sally
Hi Harleena,
I went through a period of quite severe sleep deprivation when I was working and staying online until very late at night, but still getting up early in the mornings for work – I felt absolutely dreadful and almost fell asleep behind the wheel at times.
I think a lot of people struggling to make money online feel under tremendous pressure to cut down on their sleep, but this is at great risk to their health, as you’ve so clearly pointed out in this post.
I can’t think of anything to add to the comprehensive list of risks and symptoms you’ve described here – I only know I’ve been there, done that and now make sure I get a good night’s sleep. If that means some stuff doesn’t get done – too bad!
Thanks for raising another important issue, Harleena – I hope people who are depriving themselves of sleep sit up and take notice.
Hope you’re having a great week,
Sue
Hi Harleena,
I never knew not having enough sleep could cause Diabetes, and also make someone obese. I’ve been depriving myself of sleep most times just because of my work and blog schedule, but your post came in right on time. I will try my best to reschedule my activities in order not to deprive myself of sleep. For the fact that it gets people ugly, I quite agree to that as I have noticed that people who have sleep look more plumpy and fresh.
Thanks anyway for this blog post, you are doing great.
I might not have any issues with getting obese with how skinny I am lol. However, I do need better sleeping habits. Some nights I sleep 2-3 hours. 🙁
Each and every line of the above article is true. I totally agree with the deprivation facts.
Adequate sleep makes a lot of differences…. Whenever I sleep well I feel so energetic and refreshed with lots of energy of doing something good…. Thanks for this nice share…..
Hey Harleena,
The title of the post really attracted me. And as I was really, I did feel like you were talking directly to me LOL.
Yes I deprive myself of sleep a lot and I can definitely related to the effects of sleep deprivation. I use to get sick a lot. The reason being was that I started taking salsa classes and started going to the clubs and got hooked. I got so hooked, that I would go to the club, come home around 1 or 2pm knowing I have to get up a couple of hours later to go to work.
Not Good!
As a result, I got sick a lot! And I mean a lot! Plus I started putting on some weight too. Even though I was salsa dancing a lot. So yes, I make an effort to get enough sleep, although it can be hard for me at times, but health is more important. Thanks for the info.!
Great post Harleena!
Too many people don’t know how dangerous sleep deprivation really is! I knew some of it, but after being glued to this post, it was really jaw-dropping. The effects are astounding.
I did have a bout with it once. I was staying up late writing, and wasn’t going to bed until 3 am – then waking up late in the day. I was topsy-turvy all day long.
When I got to bed I was over tired and had trouble falling asleep. I talked it over with a health professional friend of mine. She gave me a great idea and I did put it into action. I started going to bed one hour earlier for one week. Then the next week doing it another hour earlier. All the while, setting my alarm for 9 am instead of waking at 11 or 12.
By the fourth week, I’m in bed at no later than 11:30 p.m. and I’m up at 8:30 a m. Yes, I do see the difference in my face! I’m happier also and feel more energetic.
Thanks for a great post!
Donna
Although I’ve had my moments Harleena, sleep is something I’m very good at. I usually never have an issue getting a good night’s sleep.
I inherited a lot of stuff from my Dad so sleeping is one of them. If I don’t get a good 8 hours of sleep every night then I make myself sick. It starts with flu like symptoms and then next thing you know I’m sick for three days.
I seriously can’t function when I’m tired. I’ll just go to bed earlier that night if that’s the case but I have to have a good night’s sleep or I’m worthless. I wish I was a napper but I just can’t take naps. I’ve never been able to to do it.
I know it can be really bad for you if you don’t get enough sleep but luckily for me, I’ll never have this issue.
Hope you’re having fun!
~Adrienne
Hi Harleena,
Recently I have written an article on Tips for nocturnal bloggers. I have mentioned the need for sleep and also how to be cautious with our health as we work in the nights. If at all you have written this post earlier I would have linked it but I still like to link it in my article as it has great information on the disadvantages of not sleeping.
I also observed personally that at times I am more productive when I sleep well and when I sleep late in the night of about 2 A.M I see the effects the next morning as the day would be too gloomy for me to start or do any work.
Lack of sleep causes us to become obese and also prone to have diabetic affect is very bad as it would be very difficult to maintain our food habits once we get affected to diabetics. same in the case of growing fat it is easy to grow obese but very hard to become slim.
So early to bed and early to rise makes us healthy wealthy and happy. I should stop planning the night schedules and shift to morning schedules and reserve my night hours for sleeping well whatever it costs.
Thanks for the needful information Harleena.
Hi Harleena,
Well, I happened to know a lot about the effects of sleep deprivation because my mother being an avid reader and knowing a lot of things used to tell us about this as we were children.
The good thing about my body is that I can’t do two things for very long at all; it’s stop eating and stop sleeping. If I do, my body reacts quickly and rather strongly, so I don’t even try to mess with it that way at all.
Just a couple of days going to bed too late and having to wake up too early will do me in, so in a way that’s a good prevention for me.
Thanks for this great post full of great information.
A sound sleep is very important to give full strength for the next day. It is like refueling our body & mind together. Everyone must have proper sleep. Otherwise, if sleep deprivation continues, it will be harmful for our body as it is a one kind of disease.
Thanks for sharing the effects of sleep deprivation in a lucid but effective way
Hi Harleena,
I did have several sleep deprivation symptoms when I was going through that depression. I was procrastinating too often, my anger multiplied ten-folds and I certainly looked really ugly with dark circles and slight wrinkles at such a young age.
I cannot harp enough on how bad it is. I’m glad I’ve left those bad days behind and I’ve set a stable sleep-wake cycle. Frankly when you set a proper sleep-wake cycle, your day becomes really bright and happy.
Good post!
Aditya
Sleep is so important, as a business owner, i forget at times I need a good nights sleep in order to perform at my best.
They say,,,eating and sleeping are two identical habits. One’s body clock gets used to a certain routine.If and when that routine is disturbed,it effects various aspects of one’s life.
What a wonderful post. I never realized that sleeplessness could cause that. Thank you.
Great article! Sleep deprivation is so challenging and detrimental to our well being.
I was a shift worker for 15 years, now my sleep is interrupted with pain. Sleep is a precious commodity in my opinion!!
I hope it will help some people, so I tell my story: a couple of years ago, a girlfriend took me to her yoga studio. I hadn’t got anything to do, so I decided to check it. I often used to have sleep deprivations and disorders, but after the first yoga lesson, I have slept very well. So, I got addicted to yoga and I always sleep well:)
I personally deal with this first hand. I suffer from chronic pain and I find that when I am tired I am feeling worse. I tend to suffer from insomnia at night due to the pain keeping me from getting comfortable. I find myself needing to take a nap so that I get enough hours of sleep each day. I personally don’t like breaking up my sleep into two sessions but I do what works for me and my family.
Hi Harleena,
This was a wonderful post on sleep deprivation and the problems that can be caused when we don’t get enough sleep.
I can so relate to the point you made about not sleeping enough feeling like the effects of alcohol. It’s a similar to feeling to when one has been out for the night and didn’t get to bed until 3 am!
I personally need at least 7 hours of sleep. When I’ve slept for 7 hours or more, then I feel I can function properly during the day.
Thank you.
I hardly sleep for 5 hr , my avg sleep hr is 4 hr , and i spent max time in front of system , but i meditate 1 hr every day , you article is very informative for people like us .
Even after reading i think i am ok and i will not face any such above mentioned problem.
This is a common topic for me. I’ve written a few posts about it because I’ve worked the overnight pharmacist slot for 7 years! Fresh out of school with a 7 day rotation followed by 7 days off is EVERYTHING!!! I must admit, I still love the 7 days off, but I’m extremely sleep deprived at this point. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll sleep 4 hours a day on my work week and I’m even having trouble on my off week. My fitness responsibilities and blogging add to a racing mind, not to mention my personal life. I experience some of these side affects and really need to think about a new shift or job. I originally said that 7 years was as long as I’d do this and my body is reminding me that time is up!!! This post should be taken very seriously. I’m a living testimony.
I am really bad at sleeping. I normally go to bed at 11 pm and wake up around 2 or 3 from a few hours and then go back to bed at 4 am and get up at 6:30 am. I know that I need to get more sleep. I will definitely try to do better based on the information that you provided.
I think I am doing a huge mistake because I sleep very late and I wake up very late as well, I don’t relax at all that way, I think that I must change that naughty habit and try to sleep and wake up early so can start a day with big passion and energy.
Some days I even used to sleep in the classroom, because I felt literally tired. Heey don’t tell my parents they will gripe if they witness that I slept at school 😀
I sleep late because I keep watching Movies and old soccer matches, sometime I don’t even devote my time from blogging and this is another fatal mistake I must prevent. My parent always urge me to sleep early and to grab my dinner early, but I don’t care I still sleep late 🙂
Thanks for sharing this awesome post with us have a lovey weekend 😀
Harleena,
Those are some pretty ugly effects of sleep deprivation. I try to rest because I do perform better and my mind is clearer when my body is rested. Of course, you say that in your post. Your posts really remind us to take care of our bodies. Thanks for the easy to see effects that make us all take another glance at our sleep patterns.
This message needed your touch, Harleena. This is a very relevant and important topic. I’m happy to be able to say that I definitely get my rest, one could very well get away with saying, at times I get a tad bit too much of it. 😀
A few years ago, I was definitely deprived of sleep. I had just gotten laid off from the Airlines, my mother was going in and out of the hospital for chemo treatments, and we were prepping our next move with not much certainty of where we would end up.
To say that times were a little stressful, would be a huge understatement. I’m sure I wasn’t eating properly either.
A long story short, we did happen to find a house pretty quickly. However, after we got settled in good, I started having these sharp killer pains on the left side of my abdomen and chest area. It was far to painful to even stand up on my own. Come to find out, I had pneumonia. The doctor went on to tell me that it was good that I called when I did, otherwise, it definitely would have only gotten worse. He also said that sleep deprivation and stress is likely to have increased my chances of of acquiring it.
Great stuff, beloved. Thanks!
Hi Harleena,
I’ve been there and done that 🙂
Since the time I engaged with higher studies, I used to work late night and some days, I just sleep only on the way to my class in the bus for about one and half hours and did exams that way too 🙂 I’m just addicted to computer.
Actually no proper sleep at all. But end of the day, I feel how tired I am and just can’t concentrate on anything. So I need a sleep.
I can confirm the symptoms you were talking about. Dark patches under eyes were visible, mind couldn’t focus as much as I wanted to though I thought so at that times, not much interest in some stuff I did – even my meals 😉 Further, I was feeling sleepy though I had enough sleep on next day too which lead to less focus and eventhough I try to sleep at night, I couldn’t sleep for few more hours 🙂
Fortunately, now I’m working at home and eventhough I awake overnight and sleep during the day most of the time, 8 hours of sleep is minimum for me Harleena 🙂 But when it comes to moms, students and other parties, I know it’s not possible at all. They need to be on time everyday.
I ignored it that time and I’ve experienced it myself Harleena 🙂 I’ve been working so hard. Actually I had limited time to do ’em all and I didn’t wanna slow down either. It’s first days of my blogging journey too 🙂
I think I’m not too late to take action by now and glad I do 🙂 Thanks for all health related posts which made me change my lifestyle to be more healthy Harleena. I’m grateful indeed 🙂
You have a healthy weekend and hope you are following tips mentioned here too dear 😉
Cheers…
Hello Harleena,
God!!! I have not slept normally for many years now because i found working and writing at night make the whole process easy and concentrate-able.
I hardly fall asleep because i feel there is no time for sleep and every passing hour is valuable but i never for once put the dangers it might cause at the long run. Your post really scared me and make me realized i am killing my self gradually, but i am even getting younger by the day 🙂 I have tried multiple times to fall asleep but just can’t do it. But your post really showed me that i am killing my self internally….
My question to you; do you always sleep on time? Thanks for your lovely post and have a blessed weekend and happy new month 🙂
Hi Babanature,
Well, working at night is not that bad at all if you prefer it and if it suits your body clock and rhythm. But if you do so, you need to compensate for your full sleep quota by getting an unbroken sleep during the day.
You’ll always be short of time because there’s so much to do, but that does not mean we cut upon on one of the most important processes of our body. One thing you’re right about is that every passing hour is valuable, so we must plan and manage it efficiently and cut on other things like playing games on computer, or watching movies, to make some space and time for our work.
Being even more smart, we can delegate or distribute some of our work to others or even outsource it, so we don’t put our health at risk. You may not be able to sleep because your natural sleep cycle is disturbed and broken, but that does not mean that your body does not need sleep.
Do I always sleep on time? No, I’d be honest. But I’m working on my routine as mentioned in the post after facing and experiencing most of the things that I’ve written about.
I do hope I’m successful in creating a healthy lifestyle and you too. Thanks for sharing your valuable feedback. Have a great new month yourself! 🙂
Well written Harleena,
Its never advisable for anyone to deprive himself sleep for any reason at all.
God create night for us to sleep and have some rest therefore, it will be useless to do the contrary because, you will only to endangering your life.
The things that lack of sleep can cause is many including mental disorder and all the things you listed here are also the effects.
I hope many people will learn from this article.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Peter,
You’re right – sleep is a natural phenomenon or process of our body and we shouldn’t fiddle with it. This is one of the reasons we’ve the nights – while on a few you can have parties or indulge in work, but on most of the nights you need to do what they’re meant for – to sleep!
I too hope that the readers find the reasons valid and strong enough to change their lifestyle, and make their lives better.
Thank you for contributing your thoughts and views on this very important issue. 🙂
Happy new month Leena :),
I was laughing while reading this post because it seems its made for me. When it comes to sleep deprivation, I’m one of those out there that does it a lot.
Some times, i will go to be around 3:30-4AM and still tries to wake up by 6:00AM. That’s what i normally do everyday all because of my blog. And to be honest with you, it added tremendously to the recent illness I’m experiencing lately according to my doctor.
That’s why I’m hardly online these days especially at night coupled with my exams.
And i also agree with you that most of the time, it will make you to be less productive. This is because some times after spending all those time at night, it will seem to be as if i didn’t achieve anything after all.
I’ve decided to be going to bed at most, by 1:00 AM now because…. Health is Wealth.
Thanks for sharing such an interesting post Harlenna :).
Hi Theodore,
Have a great month of June yourself! I’m glad you too could personally relate to the post, and are able to take a proactive resolution to sleep early.
I can totally relate to and understand the ill feeling you’d have after only sleeping for a few hours at night on a regular basis. But I agree with you that blogging does require more of your time and sometimes you’ve no choice but to cut on your sleep time. It’s okay if done occasionally, but a regular routine would really make you sick.
I think you’ve taken a wise decision to abstain from keeping awake at night. This would not only increase your productivity, but also decrease your chances of being unhealthy.
Thank you for sharing your life experiences and views about sleep deprivation and its effects. I really appreciate it. 🙂
Harleena,
This post is simply for me. I love that Irish proverb “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”
I hardly sleep these days. I am always watching movies on my laptop. A cup of coffee always keep me awake. Again something I need to stop! Number 1 got me smiling. I actually checked myself in the mirror. 😀 I agree with all your points most especially #3-You lose your mind. I will make sure i get enough sleep from now on.
Thanks for sharing this post!
-Seun
Hi Seun,
Ah, you too! There are many other readers who too resonate with this post. And your quote really conveys a very important message – a good habit of sleeping well really helps remain healthy.
I’m glad you could extract some useful points from the post. Yes, everything depends on how well you control your mind, and for that I think it helps to block your quota of sleep hours at night, and be strict with yourself to not break this rule in any circumstances.
I wish you all the best in your endeavor to live a healthy lifestyle.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences, I really appreciate that. 🙂
Harleena, oh yes,
I have suffered from this for a while. In my early 40’s I started to sleep less and I would awake at 2 or 3 a.m. I tried to go back to sleep and could not. I would watch TV and fall back asleep which made me feel worse when it was time to get up. Then I started to work online and I just would awake and begin working online.I found if I awoke at 4 I would be okay for the day since I go to bed by 9 most nights. But if I awoke at 2 for 2 or more nights in a row I would be beat the following day. It does cause a lot of things – showing on the eyes as you mention and almost getting into accidents driving. It can be hard staying awake any time of day if you are driving a lot. I’ve been sleeping better of late and hope it will continue.
I do on occasion take naps on the weekend for 2-4 hours. It helps me to catch up if that is possible with sleep.
Great info Harleena 🙂
Hi Lisa,
It’s not only your story – it’s been mine too and I’m sure many others too would relate to it.
I too had to keep awake at times till 2 or 3 in the morning to complete my blogging tasks, and found it difficult to fall to sleep immediately. If I’d watch TV then it becomes more difficult for me to sleep if I find something interesting to watch!
I’m working on to create a strict and stable routine and time table to keep my sleep hours full and intact, and to sleep early on a regular basis. I admire your habit to sleep early, and I agree that if you wake up early, you not only feel better but also end up doing a lot during the whole day.
An afternoon nap does let you compensate a bit for your sleep lag, and I do that on a daily basis, but there’s nothing like a full night’s sleep,
I’m glad you’re on a better routine now :0
Thanks for stopping by sharing your thoughts and experiences. 🙂
Hello Harleena,
Many people don’t know that Sleep is restorative for the brain do they?
Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Yet millions of people do not get enough sleep and many suffer from lack of sleep. This will really cause them lots of problem and may also damage their health….
Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. It is scientifically studied that people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests or exam later.
You make me remember a day i fall asleep right inside a bus,i was so tired then, just coming back from a long journey, and i don’t even know i have passed out long ago..
Hi Temilola,
You’re absolutely right! Most of us don’t know that sleep really restores the brain cells and how important it is for us. I think somewhere or the other we are all guilty of sleeping less or not sleeping enough due to various reasons, even though most of us DO know that we aren’t doing the right thing. I think we wait for something to happen before we really take action or change our lifestyle. I’m guilty of this myself a lot of times and I’m sure there must be many like me, as I do see so many of my blogger friends online late at night, which was another reason I wanted to write about it today.
Oh yes…it’s scientifically proven that those who had a full night’s sleep performed better the next day, whether it was for their work, jobs, or exams. I think we ourselves also experience this and observe how fresh we feel when we have slept well, as compared to having slept only for a few limited hours – isn’t it?
Ah…I can relate to that as one of my friends also missed the station she was to get off at because she overslept when the station came – another blogger who always slept late at night.
Thanks for stopping by and contributing to the post 🙂
I know, it is like you are speaking to me. I can relate to all of these problems resulting from lack of sleep. I especially can tell in my face. Some weeks I am better than others, but I have had a busy week. Lack of sleep makes everything worse. I think this was just the motivation I needed to get back in bed and stay there for a good solid 8! xo
Hi Jodi,
Glad you could relate so well to the post 🙂
This surely is a reminder for me too! Oh yes…I think the first symptoms start showing on the eyes and the face – at least for me they do, before anything else. If we are busy for one odd day and sleep less, it’s still acceptable – other than that, it has it’s affects. Aha…do go back to bed and sleep well 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and contributing to the post 🙂
I remember flying from Canada to India and I was extremely tired and then at a stop over in London, we were sightseeing, it really affected me in a bad way and it was all about not having enough sleep. Interesting to note that sleep deprivation can affect your sex drive too. Who can actually blame that, I suppose you are so tired that you just want to go to bed.
Hi Shalu,
Oh yes…the jet lag one experiences the next day can really be bad because you are to tired and drained due to travelling as a tis. It surely does affect as you are so drained off and tired because of working all day, unless you sleep and then make up for it 😉
It all comes to making sure that none of these sleep deprivation effects affect your life, which ensures you live a much happier and healthier life.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views 🙂
Hi Betsy – good to have you back 🙂
Wow! You ARE lucky indeed is all I can say to manage to sleep that early, and that too with kids! How did you manage with them around? Gosh!
I think my sleep hours only lessened after my kids were born, though I do manage to rest for a short nap during the day, but that’s about all. I wish I could sleep longer, though I know the choices are always in our hands. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and literally wowing me 🙂
I’ve been teased for 25 years (since I started having children) for getting into bed so early (7pm) and taking naps during the day. But secretly people have admitted that they wish they did the same. My body wakes up refreshed at 4am and I feel pretty peaceful and happy all day.
I go to bed early and get up early and sleep well. I know I can’t function without adequate sleep. Last semester I was teaching in the evening and was not able to get to bed at my usual time, but my body awakened at the same early hour. It took me several days to “feel normal” again. Never again!!