Coping With Excessive Sleepiness

10 Things to Hate About Sleep Loss

AAA By Camille Peri WebMD Feature Reviewed by James Beckerman, MD, FACC You know lack of sleep can make you grumpy and foggy. You may not know what it can do to your sex life, memory, health, looks, and even ability to lose weight. Here are 10 surprising -and serious -- effects of sleep loss.

1. Sleepiness Causes Accidents

Sleep deprivation was a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history: the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill, the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, and others. But sleep loss is also a big public safety hazard every day on the road. Drowsiness can slow reaction time as much as driving drunk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fatigue is a cause in 100,000 auto crashes and 1,550 crash-related deaths a year in the U.S. The problem is greatest among people under 25 years old. Studies show that sleep loss and poor-quality sleep also lead to accidents and injuries on the job. In one study, workers who complained about excessive daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents, particularly repeated work accidents. They also had more sick days per accident.

2. Sleep Loss Dumbs You Down

Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep hurts these cognitive processes in many ways. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently. Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in consolidating memories in the mind. If you dont get enough sleep, you wont be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day.

3. Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious Health Problems

Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:

Heart disease

Heart attack Heart failure Irregular heartbeat High blood pressure Stroke Diabetes

According to some estimates, 90% of people with insomnia -- a sleep disorder characterized by trouble falling and staying asleep -- also have another health condition.

4. Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive

Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame. For men with sleep apnea, a respiratory problem that interrupts sleep, there may be another factor in the sexual slump. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2002 suggests that many men with sleep apnea also have low testosterone levels. In the study, nearly half of the men who suffered from severe sleep apnea also secreted abnormally low levels of testosterone during the night.

5. Sleepiness Is Depressing
Over time, lack of sleep and sleep disorders can contribute to the symptoms of depression. In a 2005 Sleep in America poll, people who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to sleep less than six hours at night. The most common sleep disorder, insomnia, has the strongest link to depression. In a 2007 study of 10,000 people, those with insomnia were five times as likely to develop depression as those without. In fact, insomnia is often one of the first symptoms of depression. Insomnia and depression feed on each other. Sleep loss often aggravates the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep. On the positive side, treating sleep problems can help depression and its symptoms, and vice versa.

6. Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin

Most people have experienced sallow skin and puffy eyes after a few nights of missed sleep. But it turns out that chronic sleep loss can lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes. When you dont get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic.

Sleep loss also causes the body to release too little human growth hormone. When were young, human growth hormone promotes growth. As we age, it helps increase muscle mass, thicken skin, and strengthen bones. Its during deep sleep -- what we call slow-wave sleep -- that growth hormone is released, says sleep expert Phil Gehrman, PhD. It seems to be part of normal tissue repair -- patching the wear and tear of the day.

7. Sleepiness Makes You Forgetful

Trying to keep your memory sharp? Try getting plenty of sleep. In 2009, American and French researchers determined that brain events called sharp wave ripples are responsible for consolidating memory. The ripples also transfer learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex of the brain, where long-term memories are stored. Sharp wave ripples occur mostly during the deepest levels of sleep.

8. Losing Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight

When it comes to body weight, it may be that if you snooze, you lose. Lack of sleep seems to be related to an increase in hunger and appetite, and possibly to obesity. According to a 2004 study, people who sleep less than six hours a day were almost 30 percent more likely to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours. Recent research has focused on the link between sleep and the peptides that regulate appetite. Ghrelin stimulates hunger and leptin signals satiety to the brain and suppresses appetite, says Siebern. Shortened sleep time is associated with decreases in leptin and elevations in ghrelin. Not only does sleep loss appear to stimulate appetite. It also stimulates cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. Ongoing studies are considering whether adequate sleep should be a standard part of weight loss programs.

9. Lack of Sleep May Increase Risk of Death

In the Whitehall II Study, British researchers looked at how sleep patterns affected the mortality of more than 10,000 British civil servants over two decades. The results, published in 2007, showed that those who had cut their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night nearly doubled their risk of death from all causes. In particular, lack of sleep doubled the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

10. Sleep Loss Impairs Judgment, Especially About Sleep

Lack of sleep can affect our interpretation of events. This hurts our ability to make sound judgments because we may not assess situations accurately and act on them wisely.

Sleep-deprived people seem to be especially prone to poor judgment when it comes to assessing what lack of sleep is doing to them. In our increasingly fast-paced world, functioning on less sleep has become a kind of badge of honor. But sleep specialists say if you think youre doing fine on less sleep, youre probably wrong. And if you work in a profession where its important to be able to judge your level of functioning, this can be a big problem. Studies show that over time, people who are getting six hours of sleep, instead of seven or eight, begin to feel that theyve adapted to that sleep deprivation -- theyve gotten used to it, Gehrman says. But if you look at how they actually do on tests of mental alertness and performance, they continue to go downhill. So theres a point in sleep deprivation when we lose touch with how impaired we are.
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss?page=3

Sleep Deprivation Effects: 8 Scary Side Effects Of Too Little Shut-Eye

Posted: 03/06/2013 8:16 am EST | Updated: 03/06/2013 1:11 pm EST Get Healthy Living Newsletters: Sleep, Video, Sleep Deprivation Effects, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Health, Healthy Living News The immediate effects of skimping on sleep are obvious. You're groggy, unfocused, sluggish and dying for a nap (or a second cup of coffee). Then there are the sneakier signs you're overtired: You're overly emotional, starving and clumsier than usual. Most of the time, a solid night's sleep will solve all these problems. The average adult needs about seven to nine hours of sleep each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation, but most of us don't even get that much. But getting too little sleep -generally understood to mean six hours or less a night -- can be serious -- enough to change your genes. Of course, one night of short sleep won't put you at serious risk, but one week can. After just seven nights of too little sleep, researchers observed more than 700 genetic changes that could play a role in consequences including heart problems and obesity, according to a recent study. Here are some of the most frightening effects of sleep deprivation in the slideshow below. And while these are sobering, the good news is that sleep duration is in your control. For more and better sleep, try these eight ideas.

The 10 Weirdest Side Effects of Sleep Deprivation

By Woman s Day | Healthy Living Mon, Jul 1, 2013 1:48 AM EDT
By Jane Bianchi 1. Weight Gain "Sleep deprivation slows your metabolism and increases your appetite. It also makes you crave high-fat and high-carb foods," says Michael Breus, PhD, a psychologist and sleep disorder specialist in Scottsdale, AZ. One trick: Cut out that evening glass of wine (sorry!), because although alcohol makes you want to snooze, it actually disrupts sleep later in the night. Plus, slashing calories prevents your waistline from widening. Related: Discover 8 sexy ways to burn calories. 2. Moodiness When you're tired, you might notice a temporary change in your emotions-maybe a sappy commercial you've seen dozens of times suddenly makes you cry. If you're chronically tired, though, you may have a more serious condition. "Research shows that at least 50% of people with depression have some type of sleep problem-usually insomnia," says Lisa Shives, MD, an internist and sleep medicine expert in Evanston, IL, and the medical expert for SleepBetter.org. "Neurotransmitters involved in our sleep/wake cycle are linked to feel-good hormones, like serotonin." If you're feeling off-kilter, see a psychologist who's also a sleep specialist-that way, whether your moodiness is causing a sleep problem or vice versa, you can get help. 3. Swollen, Dark Undereye Circles "When you don't sleep, your body loses moisture, so your skin becomes dehydrated. This can lead to circles under your eyes," says Joel Schlessinger, MD, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Omaha, NE. Start a new bedtime ritual: First, drink a cup of chamomile tea an hour before you lie down. This herbal beverage doesn't contain caffeine, and it hydrates and relaxes you. Second, apply facial moisturizer and eye cream, which stops your skin from drying out. 4. Problems Driving Fatigue causes one in five car crashes, according to an April 2013 study from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. How come? Driving drowsy slows reaction time, decreases awareness and damages judgment. In fact, one Australian study found that being up for 24 hours is equivalent, in terms of driving impairment, to having a blood alcohol content of .10 (.08 is legally drunk). If you'll be driving a

long distance tomorrow, have an 8-oz glass of tart cherry juice an hour-and-a-half before bed tonight. The drink contains melatonin, and has been shown to help people sleep 39 minutes longer per night. Related: Try 8 calming foods that ease stress. 5. Higher Stress Levels Getting fewer than six hours of sleep per night disrupts the genes that regulate stress, according to a February 2013 study from the University of Surrey in Guildford, England. And that means you're likely to feel more anxious. Try de-stressing before bed each night so you can fall asleep faster. First, do five minutes of meditation by breathing deeply in a seated position with your eyes closed. Then, do five minutes of your favorite relaxing stretches or yoga moves, such as child's pose, legs up the wall or happy baby. 6. Lower Body Temperature You might get the chills when you don't get enough zzz's. "Your body temperature falls to its lowest point in the middle of the night while you sleep. So if you're under-slept, your body temperature might be trying to drop," says Dr. Shives. When you're going to sleep, the National Sleep Foundation suggests keeping your bedroom cool-between 54 and 75F-because a hot environment may cause disrupted or lighter sleep. 7. Brain Fog Do you find that it's harder to think after a night of poor sleep, especially when you're on the job? "That's because sleep deprivation negatively affects your ability to learn and remember new information," says Janet Kennedy, PhD, a clinical psychologist and sleep specialist in New York City. Having a cup of caffeinated coffee in the morning helps you stay alert, but also try these two tips. First, go to bed at the exact same time each night and wake up at the exact same time each morning-even on weekends. Second, spend at least a few minutes in daylight in the A.M. Both strategies get your circadian rhythm on track. Related: Check out 9 bad habits that are good for you. 8. Marital Strife People who are chronically tired tend to be less interested in sex. "Scientists know that people who don't sleep well are usually more stressed. And there's a link between high stress levels and low libido," says Dr. Shives. Plus, as mentioned, lack of sleep can lead to mood swings-and snapping at your husband or holing up in your room to cry doesn't bring the two of you closer. Make sure you schedule a date night, whether it's once a week or once a month, to reconnect with your man and strengthen your relationship. And if TV time is how you bond, avoid watching it (or using a computer) an hour before

bed, as bright screens may over-stimulate you. 9. Lower Immunity Feeling exhausted? You're more likely to get sick. "Scientists gave fully rested and sleep-deprived people vaccinations, and found that people who don't get seven to eight hours of sleep produce fewer antibodies in response. This shows that your immune system isn't as strong when you're tired," says Dr. Shives. If you haven't gotten a good night's sleep, stay away from anyone who's coughing and sneezing and eat nutritious, immunity-boosting foods. Also, try dimming your home's lights an hour before bed, which signals to your body that it's time to wind down. 10. More Difficult Workouts You may still be able to lift heavy weights and run fast after not resting well. But because your sleepdeprived mind isn't so sharp and you're likely to be stressed and moody, the workout may feel harder than usual, according to Dr. Breus. Plus, feeling sleepy may deter you from exercising in the first place. To sleep more soundly (especially the night before a race or other athletic event), finish eating at least two to three hours before turning in. If you feel too full or experience heartburn in bed, you may have trouble falling asleep. http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/10-weirdest-side-effects-sleep-deprivation-165600053.html