In just one night without enough rest, we may feel drowsy during the day with little thought, helplessness, and feelings of resentment.
What Are the Signs of Sleep Deprivation?
The main signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation include excessive daytime sleepiness and daytime disabilities such as decreased concentration, slower thinking, and mood swings.
Feeling very tired during the day is one of the symptoms of sleep deprivation. People who fall asleep during the day may feel drowsy and find it difficult to stay awake even when it is necessary. In some cases, this causes a small amount of sleep where a person sleeps for a few seconds.
Insufficient sleep can directly affect how a person feels during waking hours. Examples of these signs include:
- difficulty concentrating and remembering
- reduced sex drive
- reduced thinking
- decreased attention span
- extensive memory
- Weakness
- fatigue
- irritability
- mood swings
- feelings of stress
- anxiety
Symptoms of a person can depend on the extent of their deprivation of sleep and whether it is serious or chronic. Studies also suggest that some people are more likely to develop symptoms after sleep deprivation and that this may be due to genetic predisposition. Stimulants such as caffeine can also mask the symptoms of sleep deprivation, so it is important to be aware of how you feel inside and outside of these substances.
FAQ
What are the effects of lack of sleep?
Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Other potential problems include obesity, depression, impairment in immunity and lower sex drive. Chronic sleep deprivation can even affect your appearance.
What are 5 emotional effects of sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation can exacerbate pre-existing mood disturbances, such as anger, depression, and anxiety, and can lead to confusion, fatigue, and lack of vigor. Even just one sleepless night correlates with these changes in function.
Who is most affected by sleep deprivation?
Age 14-15 seems to be a big turning point for sleep deprivation, a year when teens experience the greatest drop in hours of sleep per night.
Can you recover from years of sleep deprivation?
Although we can't recover all functioning from high sleep deficits, we can begin to improve some functioning by tacking on an extra hour or more of rest per night. So rather than binge sleeping, it is better to increase sleep an hour or more over a long period of time.
