Chronic Insomnia

Posts Tagged ‘mood disorders’

Sleep deprivation is costly physically, mentally, financially and can many times affect others besides the sleep deprived. Sleep is the only time during which the brain’s cerebral cortex – the portion of the brain responsible for memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness – is not in a state of quiet alertness, so only during sleep may the brain properly rest and regenerate for optimal functioning. When a person has chronic insomnia, neurons may begin to malfunction and the person’s behavior will be visibly affected. Their general physical health will suffer, as well.

In the early stages of sleep deprivation, your brain will work harder and less effectively toward even simple tasks. The ability to concentrate will be one of the first noticeable effects. Memory soon becomes impaired, as does the ability to problem solve, make decisions, and generate new ideas.

Short term effects of sleep deprivation are:

• Memory and cognitive impairment – Your ability to think clearly and process thoughts and information will be affected by even the earliest stages of drowsiness.
• Diminished alertness and performance – If your sleep routine is disrupted for one night by as little as 90 minutes, your daytime alertness is reduced by one third.
• Slowed reaction time – In a study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2000, researchers in New Zealand and Australia revealed that sleep deprivation has some of the same hazardous effects as being intoxicated, carrying serious risk due to its affect on coordination, reaction time, and judgment.
• Risk of automobile or occupational injury – In that same Occupational and Environmental Medicine study of 2000, researchers warned that drivers who have not slept in 17 to 19 hours performed worse behind the wheel than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent, the BAC limit for drunk driving in most European countries.
• Poor quality of life – Because of a sleep deprived person’s inability to think clearly, process thoughts, and remain alert, the majority of activities that one may typically enjoy throughout daily life become less enjoyable. Even watching television, going to a movie, engaging in conversation, reading, or outdoor activities are not as enthusiastically appreciated or pursued as when one is not sleep deprived.
• Irritability and moodiness
• Slurred speech
• Lower libido
• Tremors

Long term sleep deprivation and untreated sleep disorders cause even bigger problems, including:

• Obesity – A common effect of sleep deprivation is dramatic weight change. Hormone levels, including leptin and ghrelin which affect feelings of fullness and appetite, are imbalanced by lack of sleep. Leptin falls, encouraging increased hunger. Ghrelin rises, producing a lack of satisfaction from food. Through this imbalance and the sleep deprived body’s confusion regarding when to stop eating and how much to eat, weight is easily gained.
• Psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders – A 2007 Harvard Medical School study in conjunction with the University of California at Berkeley documented that sleep deprivation causes the brain to become incapable of appropriately reacting to emotional events in a controlled, suitable manner.
• Fetal and childhood growth retardation – A 1999 study conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University’s College of Medicine’s Sleep Research and Treatment Center found that sleep deprivation suppresses growth hormones.
• Microsleeps – Very similar to blackouts from intoxication, microsleeps occur when the brain is significantly sleep deprived. The brain shuts down and falls into 10 to 60 second sleeps without the person experiencing them even being aware that the microsleeps are occurring and presenting significant driving, occupational, and other dangers.

Other documented long-term health affects from sleep deprivation are:

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Mental impairment
• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Stroke

Regardless of whether you’re sleep deprived for a short period of time or over extended periods, your daily life is vastly affected. Sleep deprivation presents physiological problems, emotional and mental problems, and even occupational risks. Lack of sleep does not have to become an accepted way of life, as there are solutions available after proper diagnosis by a qualified practitioner.