Lack of Sleep and its Health Consequences

Everyone knows that if you lose a night of sleep you are very tired the next day, but if it becomes a habit and you have developed bad sleep habits that don’t seem to resolve themselves, it also has health consequences you might not have thought of. It can make you grumpy and irritable, but what else does it do to you? Here are some surprising health consequences you might want to consider before you start making a lack of sleep a regular habit. Ages your skin – Wow, first the sun, now a lack of sleep ages your skin. That is not good. Puffy eyes and dark circles are common symptoms of a lack of sleep, but if it continues, your skin can become sallow and lifeless and those dark circles will become deeper and harder to get rid of. Lack of sleep causes excess amounts of cortisol that wears down the collagen of the skin that keeps it looking smoother and softer. Weight gain – It seems that when you are tired from a lack of sleep, you have an increased appetite and unfortunately, it enhances the cravings we have for foods higher in fat and carbohydrates, therefore increasing our chances of weight gain. Lowers your interest in sex – Studies have shown that people who are overtired have lower libidos with less interest in sex due to their lack of energy and increased tension due to a lack of sleep. Decreases your cognitive abilities – The lack of sleep decreases your ability to concentrate and problem solve because you are less alert and lack the ability to pay attention or reason. Also your memories are not processed during the night if you do not get enough sleep so you forget what you had learned during the day. Medical risks – Most people with a sleep disorder like insomnia also have a tendency to have high blood pressure, be at risk for heart attacks or other heart ailments and are more susceptible to diabetes.