We sleep less and less: the average Pole often does not sleep more than 5 hours a day. This applies not only to adults, but also to teenagers. This is especially worrisome, as developing bodies need more sleep. Why is lack of sleep dangerous?
Most of us suffer from sleep deprivation at some point in our lives. This is most commonly caused by intensive studies, night shift work, care of infants and young children, and care of the chronically ill and disabled.
In many professions, we have to deal with the problem of working at night, but it is impossible to “catch up” later by sleeping during the day. Regardless of the cause of lack of sleep, subsequent sleepless nights significantly affect our overall health, well-being and, among other things, psychomotor performance. Chronic sleep deprivation can cause serious side effects, so it’s worth finding out what symptoms may indicate sleep deprivation.
What happens in our body when we sleep?
On the Everydayhealth website, we can read the following: During sleep, the body releases hormones that help control appetite, metabolism, and the breakdown of glucose. Lack of sleep can lead to increased production of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone.
Chronic sleep deprivation results in serious diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
What happens if you don’t sleep for 24 hours?
Numerous experiments and scientific studies have been carried out to test what changes occur in the body when we forgo sleep.
After 24 hours without sleep, levels of stress hormones, especially cortisol and adrenaline, rise to offset the fatigue we struggle with and help us function, explains Dr. John Kline, assistant professor of clinical psychology at Yale School of Medicine and a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
After one sleepless night, we may not yet feel bad, especially if the lack of sleep is due to the need to perform professional duties or care, for example, for a sick child. Our motivation to act “kills” the fatigue that begins to overcome us when we have completed our duties and the accompanying emotions subside.
Interesting - 24 hours of continuous activity affects our body in the same way as the presence of 0.1 ppm of alcohol in the blood.
What happens if you don’t sleep for 36 hours?
36 hours without sleep does not seem like an impressive result either, but the damage done to our body during this time is significant. After 36 hours without sleep, the level of inflammatory markers in our blood increases, leading to, among other things, increased blood pressure and increased heart rate. Some people may experience panic attacks, mood swings, and even visual and auditory hallucinations after 36 hours of continuous activity. Driving a car or operating machinery and performing other activities that require concentration after 36 hours without sleep can threaten not only us, but also those around us.
What happens if you don’t sleep for 72 hours?
72 hours without sleep can cause us to fall asleep involuntarily in various places and situations. Effective study or work after three days without sleep is not possible. After 36 hours without sleep, our immune system begins to function poorly, making us more susceptible to, for example, viral infections. There may also be hallucinations, tantrums, panic attacks and other disorders that indicate an overload of the nervous system.
Source: Wprost
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a deep understanding of how the news industry works and how to get information out to the public. I am also an author at Daily News Hack, where I mostly cover health news. I have a keen interest in health and fitness, and I firmly believe that knowledge is power when it comes to taking care of your body. I want to help people live healthier lives by sharing my knowledge with them, and LinkedIn is the perfect platform for me to do that.
