10 Things to Hate
About Sleep Loss
You know lack of sleep can make you grumpy and
foggy. You may not know what it can do to your sex life, memory, health, looks,
and even ability to lose weight. Here are 10 surprising -- and serious --
effects of sleep loss.
Sleep deprivation was a factor in some of the
biggest disasters in recent history: the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile
Island, the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill, the 1986 nuclear meltdown at
Chernobyl, and others.
But sleep loss is also a big public safety
hazard every day on the road. Drowsiness can slow reaction time as much as
driving drunk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates
that fatigue is a cause in 100,000 auto crashes and 1,550 crash-related deaths
a year in the U.S. The problem is greatest among people under 25 years old.
Studies show that sleep loss and poor-quality
sleep also lead to accidents and injuries on the job. In one study, workers who
complained about excessive daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents,
particularly repeated work accidents. They also had more sick days per
accident.
Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and
learning. Lack of sleep hurts these cognitive processes in many ways.
First, it impairs attention, alertness,
concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to
learn efficiently.
Second, during the night, various sleep cycles
play a role in “consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough
sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during
the day.
3. Sleep Deprivation
Can Lead to Serious Health Problems Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can
put you at risk for:
·
Heart disease
·
Heart attack
·
Heart failure
·
Irregular heartbeat
·
High blood pressure
·
Stroke
·
Diabetes
According to some estimates, 90% of people
with insomnia -- a sleep disorder characterized by trouble falling and staying
asleep -- also have another health condition.
Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men
and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy,
sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame.
For men with sleep apnea, a respiratory problem
that interrupts sleep, there may be another factor in the sexual slump. A study
published in the Journal of
Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2002 suggests that many
men with sleep apnea also have low testosterone levels. In the study, nearly
half of the men who suffered from severe sleep apnea also secreted abnormally
low levels of testosterone during the night.
REFERENCE
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss
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