The Hidden Toll: How Sleep Lack of Affects Your Body and Mind
Lack of sleep causes a significant number of issues that negatively impacts mood disorders.
The information in this article draws heavily from the book “Why We Sleep” by Mathew Walker
Why You Should Care
Sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and cognitive processing. Without adequate rest, individuals with mental health conditions like bipolar disorder are more likely to experience intensified symptoms, such as memory lapses, reduced concentration, and impaired judgment.
This “mental fog” caused by sleep deprivation makes it harder to manage emotions and cope with stress effectively, often worsening mood swings and other symptoms. When sleep is compromised, the brain struggles to regulate emotions and process experiences, which can undermine stability and resilience in those with mental health conditions.
Hormonal imbalances wreak havoc on your mind and body
Lack of sleep disrupts the production of key hormones, leading to multiple health problems:
Increased Cortisol: When you don’t sleep enough, your body releases more cortisol, a stress hormone. High levels of cortisol raise blood pressure and cause inflammation, which can make you feel anxious or depressed.
Hunger Hormones: Sleep loss also affects the hormones that control appetite. It lowers leptin, the hormone that tells you when you’re full, and increases ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry. This imbalance can lead to overeating and weight gain.
Lack of sleep wrecks your metabolism
Sleep deprivation interferes with how your body processes sugar, which can increase the risk of developing diabetes over time.
Insulin Resistance: When you don’t sleep well, your body becomes less effective at using insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. This can make it harder to control glucose levels and may increase the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
Higher Fatty Acid Levels: Sleep-deprived individuals tend to have higher levels of fatty acids in their blood, which makes it even harder for the body to process glucose properly.
Poor Vaccine Response
Studies show that people who don’t get enough sleep have a weaker response to vaccines, like the flu shot. This happens because sleep is essential for building “immune memory,” which helps the body remember how to fight infections. Without proper rest, the immune system struggles to create lasting protection from vaccines.
Protect Your Heart
Sleep reduces inflammation in the body. Without enough sleep, inflammatory markers build up, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Heart Strain: Sleep-deprived people often have higher resting heart rates, which puts extra stress on the cardiovascular system.
Comprises Cognitive and Brain Function
Good sleep is essential for brain health. During deep, slow-wave sleep, the brain flushes out toxins through cerebrospinal fluid. This helps prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and supports clear thinking and emotional stability.
Memory and Learning Issues: Sleep deprivation disrupts the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for storing memories. When this happens, it becomes harder to learn new information and make good decisions.
Change starts now—the weight of depression will only pull you deeper.
Sleep deprivation takes a toll on the body by disrupting hormones, weakening the immune system, impairing brain function, and increasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The bottom line: the amount of sleep get affects the quality of your life
You Can fix it
If you’re having trouble sleeping, consider speaking with a healthcare provider to explore ways to improve your sleep routine.
References
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation/health-effects).
](https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/how-sleep-affects-human-health-explained).
Walker, Matthew. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner, 2017.
