Introduction
A pronounced lack of sleep can have many physical consequences. Social and psychological aspects on the one hand, as well as biological and physical aspects on the other hand, can be distinguished. A lack of sleep can also have serious consequences for babies and children.
Physical and psychological consequences of lack of sleep
Lack of sleep leads obviously first of all to tiredness, which can be differently strong depending upon development of the lack of sleep. This tiredness often leads to problems in everyday life and at work, especially if it does not only occur occasionally but becomes the rule. This is the case with chronic fatigue.
Both dealing with colleagues or superiors and with friends and family members is made more difficult by the reduction in concentration and performance resulting from the lack of sleep. In addition, permanent fatigue increasingly restricts social activities. All these social difficulties often have an enormous impact on the mood of those affected.
In the long term, depressions can even develop. The depressed mood makes many of those affected think and despair about their situation, which often makes it even more difficult to fall asleep and sleep through the night. This creates a cycle that can usually only be broken with targeted therapeutic measures, such as sleep medication.
The physical-biological consequences of sleep deprivation include above all metabolic disorders. These are probably triggered by an increased level of cortisone in the blood. Cortisone is also called stress hormone and leads to an increased blood sugar, as it is otherwise the case with diabetics.
In addition, there are often disturbances in the thyroid hormone balance, which can cause a variety of symptoms such as high blood pressure or palpitations. Furthermore, it has been observed that there is a connection between lack of sleep and weight gain or overweight. This is due to the fact that the blood concentrations of leptin are significantly lower in those affected.
This is a protein that gives the brain a feeling of satiety. In addition to the hormonal effects, lack of sleep also has a negative effect on the skin: it leads to a stronger drooping of the eyelids, darker rings under the eyes and promotes the formation of wrinkles. Another possible consequence of a lack of sleep is the development of a so-called restless legs syndrome: this is a disease characterized by sensory disturbances and a strong restlessness in the legs.
Often, those affected try to keep their feet “afloat” throughout the day by consuming a lot of coffee or energy drinks – in more dramatic cases even illegal stimulants. However, if these drugs are taken too late in the evening, this can lead to problems falling asleep and thus further increase the lack of sleep. This is because the half-life of caffeine in the blood is about 3-4 hours.
This means that 3-4 hours after intake, half of the caffeine is still in the blood! As a result, if a person who still drinks a cup of coffee at 4 p.m. still has a quarter of the caffeine from this cup in his blood at 11 p.m. This makes it clear why it is advisable to reduce coffee consumption considerably from the early afternoon or to stop drinking coffee altogether.
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