We all know about the common illness insomnia which troubles people of every age group. But if you don’t have an idea about it, let us enlighten you.
Insomnia is a disorder related to lack of sleep and rest which keeps you tossing and turning all night. Your body needs approximately 7-8 hours of rest to function properly. But if it doesn’t, it can cause major dysfunctions in your body. Let’s take a look at the top ten things insomnia does to your body:
When you sleep, your immune system starts producing defense material to protect your body from bacteria and virus that cause diseases. But if you stop sleeping, production of these fighting substances stop, making it easy for virus and bacteria to enter your body and cause you harm.
Causes diseases
Due to sleep deprivation, functions of body systems and immune systems stop working properly. Diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, stroke and lung diseases start arising.
Improper brain functions
Due to lack of sleep, your brain becomes exhausted and slows down. Neurons that control new information, don’t perform well, causing problems in remembering information. Concentration, learning of new things, attention, alertness, all get disturbed due to insomnia.
Ageing of skin
Skin collagen breaks due to the extra release of the stress hormone cortisol, affecting your skin. This extra cortisol releases because of sleep deprivation, resulting in sallow skin, dark circles under eyes, dull skin, puffy eyes and fine lines. So, as much as you try to take care of your skin, lack of sleep can let all your efforts go to waste.
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Causes acne
When you don’t get enough rest, cortisol releases in higher amount and increases sebum in excess which leads to acne breakouts.
Causes Weight gain
Hormones responsible for hunger and feeling of fullness, leptin and ghrelin, get severely affected by sleep deprivation. A fluctuation between those hormones affects your diet and the constant feeling of tiredness-meaning no exercise results in weight gain.
Dysfunction of the Respiratory system
If you have any respiratory problems, lack of sleep can create it into a bigger deal, for example, chronic lung diseases. The respiratory system gets affected and stops functioning properly. Flu and cold also become common due to this.
Dysfunction of the Cardiovascular system
Healing and repairing of blood vessels, heart and keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and inflammation levels in control all get affected due to lack of sleep, causing cardiovascular diseases.
Affects growth
Insomnia affects the hormones responsible for growth, repair and building of muscle, tissue and cell. Testosterone, a male hormone gets interrupted in its production due to lack of sleep which causes problems in males.
Causes mental problems
Insomnia can lead to a feeling of tiredness, depression, lack of creativity, lack of patience and severe mood swings which can affect your relations, job, studies and daily routines a lot. It also causes hallucinations and increases the matter of triggering bipolar behaviour.
Can you say that your sleeping patterns are healthy enough to avoid these problems? Or are you an insomniac? Let us know in the comments below.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!