Chronic Sleep Deprivation and the Troubles It Brings By Janet Martin At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Traditionally, sleep has always been considered as a passive condition. But in recent years, scientists continue to unlock secrets which all point to the fact that sleep is an active process vital for both mental and physical health. If there is one thing that can be learned from all the research done on the subject, it is that sleep is responsible, in no small part, for the proper functioning of all bodily functions.

It is easy to underestimate the power of sleep. After all, few people are aware of what happens during sleep. At its best, sleep can boost the body's capability to prevent harmful microorganisms and diseases from invading the body. Meanwhile, continuously decreasing sleep hours can result to a wide array of health problems on top of beauty problems like eye bags and winkles.

While it is important to note that the occasional sleepless night can not be a cause for alarm, prolonged bouts with insomnia can trigger bigger health problems. The following are three of the most dreaded side effects brought by persistent sleep deprivation. Read on.

Decreased Metabolism And Unwanted Weight

Persistent sleep deprivation can bring about unwanted weight gain. Recent studies have shown that the amount of sleep that a person takes has a significant impact on the metabolic processes of the body. More specifically, sleep deprivation can diminish the body's levels of leptin, a hormone which is mainly responsible for suppressing appetite. When this happens, one may have a hard time controlling food cravings.

On top of that, studies also reveal that the bodily functions that deal with the storage and processing of carbohydrates are also impaired by chronic lack of sleep. A report issued by the University of Chicago Medical Center found that sleeping shorter than the required eight hours can affect the endocrine glands and alter the body's resistance against excess glucose. The overall result will be unnecessary increase in weight, if not obesity or diabetes.

Erratic Mood Changes

A continuous drop in one's sleeping hours can result to symptoms like heightened irritability and moodiness. At first glance, this may be triggered by the general feeling of tiredness whenever one is deprived of the right amounts of sleep. A study conducted at a mental health institute in Montreal, however, showed that lack of sleep can zap away serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a brain chemical that plays a vital role in regulating a person's mood.

Apart from that, other researches have also found that sleep behavior is strongly linked to the pre-frontal part of the brain's cortex. This region is mainly responsible for the functions of the brain that are related to behavior and emotion. Evidence also points to the fact that children who have poor sleep quality are more prone to violent behavior and other emotional problems.

Poor Memory And Slow Learning

Sleep is the time for the brain to sort out and commit new information into its memory bank. For experts, the brain's ability to consolidate memory significantly affects a person's ability to remember information and the overall mental activity during the waking hours.

Recent experiments found out that people who slept right after learning new data or tasks tend to retain most information and fared better in later tests than those who did not sleep. Apart from memory, adequate sleep has positive effects on one's creativity, verbal ability and abstract thinking.

With all the nasty side effects that can result from chronic lack of sleep, you should put more value to the number of hours that you spend sleeping. Having sleep problems is no joke. In the long run, it can seriously damage your health. For chronic sleep problems, always remember to consult with your doctor.

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