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What causes Sleep Deprivation?

The lack of sleep directly affects how we think and feel. Sleep deprivation is when you don’t get the sleep you need, and it is estimated to affect around one-third of the American adult population

What is the difference between sleep deprivation and insomnia?

Insomnia and sleep deprivation are closely related but aren’t the same thing. Insomnia is when you’re unable to sleep when you try. Sleep deprivation is what happens when you don’t give yourself enough time to sleep don’t get enough sleep or both. Insomnia often involves a lack of sleep, but not everyone with sleep deprivation has insomnia. For example, some people are sleep deprived because they don’t have enough time in their schedule to sleep. This is distinct from insomnia, which involves sleeping problems despite having ample opportunity to sleep.

What is sleep deprivation?

Sleep deprivation means you’re not getting enough sleep. For most adults, the amount of sleep needed for the best health is 7 to 8 hours each night. When you get less sleep than that, as many people do, it can eventually lead to many health problems. These can include forgetfulness, being less able to fight off infections, and even mood swings and depression.

The average daily amount of sleep needed, by age, is:

  1. Newborns (up to 3 months old): 14 to 17 hours.
  2. Infants (4 to 12 months old): 12 to 16 hours, including naptime.
  3. Young children (1 to 5 years old): 10 to 14 hours, including naptime.
  4. School-aged children (6 to 12 years old): 9 to 12 hours.
  5. Teenagers (13 to 18 years old): 8 to 10 hours.
  6. Adults (18 years and up): 7 to 9 hours

Symptoms and effects of sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation can cause a variety of symptoms. The most recognizable signs of sleep deprivation are daytime drowsiness and fatigue. Daytime sleepiness can also cause excessive yawning, frequent blinking, eye rubbing, and even inadvertently dozing off. Memory, mood, and concentration may also be negatively affected. Sleep deprivation can impair decision-making and problem-solving. It can reduce mental flexibility, making it harder to deal with adverse situations or regulate mood and behavior. A person who is getting too little quality sleep may experience a range of symptoms including:

  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Weakened immune system
  • Difficulty focusing and remembering
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • A reduced sex drive
  • Trouble regulating emotions
  • Increased anxiety
  • Impaired cognitive performance
  • Heart disease 
  • Stroke
  • High blood pressure

In addition, a lack of sleep can have a range of other impacts on individual health. Sleep is critical for maintaining overall health. It is essential for heart health and the repair and regeneration of blood vessels, and sleep deprivation can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Causes of sleep deprivation

Various factors can combine to cause sleep deprivation, which may happen suddenly or build up over time. Common causes of sleep deprivation include:

Personal choice.

some people don’t realize that the body needs adequate sleep. Instead of regularly going to bed at a reasonable hour, they prefer to stay up late to socialize, watch television or read a good book.

Illness.

Illnesses such as colds and tonsillitis can cause snoring, gagging, and frequent waking, and have a direct effect on sleep by fragmenting it.

Work. 

People who do shift work disrupt their sleep-wake cycles regularly. Frequent travelers (for example, airline crew) also tend to have erratic sleeping patterns.

Sleep disorder.

 problems such as sleep apnoea, snoring and periodic limb movement disorder can disturb the person’s sleep many times during the night.

Medications. 

Some drugs used to treat disorders such as epilepsy or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause insomnia.

The sleeping environment.

Sleep may be disrupted for a range of environmental reasons; for example, because the bedroom is too hot or cold or because of noisy neighbors or a snoring bed partner.

Poor sleep hygiene.

Some people’s habits are disruptive; for example, drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes close to bedtime stimulates the nervous system and makes sleep less likely. Another common problem is lying in bed and worrying, rather than relaxing.

Babies, older babies, and toddlers.

Parents almost always experience sleep deprivation because their young children wake frequently in the night for feeding or comfort.

Stimulant use.

Caffeine and other stimulants can temporarily increase alertness, but their effects may make it harder to sleep at night.

Prevention

The best way to prevent sleep deprivation is to make sure you get adequate sleep. Once you start sleeping better, you have more energy and feel better able to deal with daily issues. Follow the recommended guidelines for your age group, which is 7 to 9 hours for most adults. Creating good sleep habits can vary from person to person, so trying out different steps can help create a tailored approach to improving your sleep. Here are some tips you can use to get back on track with a healthy sleep schedule:

  • Limiting daytime naps or avoiding them altogether
  • Refraining from caffeine past noon or at least a few hours before bedtime
  • Going to bed at the same time each night.
  • Waking up at the same time every morning
  • Sticking to your bedtime schedule during weekends and holidays
  • Spending an hour before bed doing relaxing activities, such as reading, meditating, or taking a bath
  • Avoiding heavy meals within a few hours before bedtime
  • Refraining from using electronic devices right before bed
  • Exercising regularly, but not in the evening hours close to bedtime
  • Reducing alcohol intake

Making a plan to deal with your chronic sleep deprivation is the best way to make sure that you are actually taking action and not just gathering information. At some point, it's important to sit down alone or with your doctor to make an action plan with concrete steps that will help you to get your sleep deprivation under control.



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