BY OMAR SAJJAD
Sixth-Year medical student in Shanghai Medical College (China), Intern at WHO, Farawaniyah Hospital (Kuwait), and Zhongshan Hospital (China).
It seems that there is a competition in this age to see who can sleep the least the night before. As if it is something to show-off, college students will claim that they slept “6 hours” to which their friends reply “oh, I only slept 4 hours” until one person jolts “I was awake the whole night!” Perhaps it is something to draw awes from as if it symbolizes the hard work spent studying or working instead of sleeping. As decades of outlook towards tobacco/smoking has changed from a cool relaxant to a killer addiction, the next ordinary habit that will finally be recognized as harmful will be sleep deprivation.
Weight Effects
Starting off, there are two main hormones that relate to eating, leptin and ghrelin. Leptin causes the feeling of satiety or telling your brain that you are “full” whereas ghrelin stimulates appetite or causes the feeling of hunger. Both hormones are directly affected by sleep, or lack of, if there is sleep deprivation then there is a higher ghrelin secretion while also higher leptin suppression. What ends up happening is people unconsciously start eating more (mainly snacking) to fill the never-ending void which inevitably causes weight gain.
And of course sleep is the “resting time” for the body and mind. When the body does not get the required rest, you will more likely to sit/lay around with minimal to no physical activity which further exacerbate weight gain.
Combined with increased weight which itself is a risk factor for diabetes type 2, lack of sleep has shown to be a plausible risk factor also. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body, and a major hallmark of diabetes type 2 is the body’s gradual increase in resistance towards said hormone, meaning the body does not respond as well to the same amount of insulin to reduce blood sugar as it did before. A study by Journal of Applied Physiology concluded that there is a risk of increased insulin resistance even with partial sleep deprivation which lead to increased blood sugar.
Immunity Effects
With the COVID-19 pandemic, this effect has been heavily highlighted. One of the mainstay treatments for all the various severities was getting enough rest which is best achieved from sufficient sleep. Not only for COVID-19 but applicable for all infections and illnesses, the body needs rest because it allows muscle activity to slow down allowing a larger energy focus on the immune system activity. Inflammation, which is a protective biological response against a foreign invader to help the body heal, is especially heightened while sleeping. During sleep, the body and mind can afford the impact of the revved up response. However, if the sleep cycle is disrupted and/or limited, then so will the inflammatory response, which ultimately leads to harm as the increased inflammatory response is a high burden throughout the whole day on the body.
Heart Effects
Both the NHS, CDC and numerous others reputable organizations agree that sleep deprivation deteriorates the health and functionality of our hearts. Blood pressure drops during normal sleep, but with poor sleep it causes an elevated sleep blood pressure which may not only cause hypertension, but also increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks, especially for middle aged adults.
Relating to inflammation that was previously mentioned, this process is a contributor to plaque buildup and hardening of arteries. When plaque is built up, it narrows the vessels and decreases their elasticity, which causes insufficient blood and oxygen circulation for the heart. This whole pathological process causes coronary artery disease, which is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide with an approximate of 7.2 million (3.8 million men and 3.4 million women) every year.
Psychological Effects
Sleep in a practical sense is a simple task, but theoretically it is complicated in terms of why it is needed. For decades’ scientists theorized why sleep is actually needed for the mind. Through years of research, it has been considered that sleep is the possible “organizing” time for the mind, meaning after the whole day’s activity and influx of information, it needs a solid amount of time to sift through and valuable information while disposing the “trash.” So when we don’t have ample sleep, it often leads to gradual concentration and memory issues as the brain was not able to throw away insignificant junk while also piling on the new data collected throughout the day.
We’ve all experienced dealing with cranky individuals (and they have every right to be) due to them getting insufficient sleep the night before. On a once in a blue moon scale, it is harmless, but over a longer period it can cause serious issues from mood swings to hallucinations, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. People whose careers are heavily reliant on decision making ability, like doctors, risk their job performance as sleep deprivation negatively effects the decision-making process. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OBGYN) concluded a study on OBGYN residents, where “acute sleep deprivation has deleterious effects on fine motor coordination.”
Growth Effects
Importance of sufficient sleep is extremely important for children, teenagers, and even young adults. The growth hormone which as guessed helps humans grow in size, is stimulated and increased in levels by factors such as sleep and exercise. Though there are inconclusive results that growth, height wise, is affected due to sleep deprivation, children’s growth in width will occur- overweight/ obesity.
All the points mentioned earlier, from physical rest to allowing the mind sufficient time to sort out the information, is crucial for children and adolescents as those years are fundamental growing and impressionable ages. Negative effects and habits that occur during these formative years, will take years to decades to correct, further emphasizing the crucial need for these age groups to get sufficient healthy sleep.
Effects to Others
Apart from the side effects sleep deprivation causes to ourselves, it affects people around us too. Bearing with cranky and irritable people on the milder side of side effects, the consequences can become quite dire.
As mentioned earlier, insufficient sleep shows decreased muscle coordination which when applied to practical scenarios can cause major accidents.
Driving will be heavily impacted as it requires coordination of eye movements with steering, which can result in traffic accidents. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that 1 in 5 serious motor vehicular injuries is due to drive fatigue furthermore the British Medical Journal showcased that driving while sleep deprived can have the same dangerous effects as being intoxicated.
There are numerous reasons for sleep deprivation, many of which are beyond our control. But when you can, it is best to avoid the cynical cycle of sacrificing sleep for validation or work. Getting the crucial 7-8 hours every day may not get the attention of your peers but your body and mind will forever be impressed.
