By Samantha Copeland
The Post Newspaper Fitness Writer
Sleep powers the mind, restores the body, and fortifies virtually every system in the body. When sleep deprivation sets in, it directly affects our entire body short-term and long-term.
While short-term impacts are more noticeable in our day-to-day lives, chronic long-term sleep deprivation can create significant risks of physical and mental health problems. Insufficient sleep can directly affect how a person feels during their waking hours of day-to-day activities. Examples of short term symptoms include:
- Slower thinking
- Reduced attention span
- Worsened memory
- Poor or risky decision making
- Lack of energy
- Mood changes, including feelings of stress, anxiety, or irritability
Long term effects include:
- Cardiovascular disease: Studies show strong associations between sleep deficiency and cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Immunodeficiency
- Hormonal abnormalities: Sleep is highly correlated to help the body properly produce and regulate levels of various hormones such as growth hormones, melatonin, cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin levels.
- Pain: Sleep-deprived people are at higher risk of developing aches and pains.
- Mental health disorders: Sleep and mental health are closely intertwined. Poor sleep is associated with conditions like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
- Increased metabolic dysfunction
- Loss of muscle mass and function: Sleep enhances muscle recovery through protein synthesis and human growth hormone release.
It’s estimated that around one-third of American adults are sleep deprived, a problem that has consistently worsened in recent years. According to the Sleep Foundation, adults need between 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to maintain a healthy lifestyle. When striving to live a healthy life, don’t neglect your sleep hygiene. Implementing regular bedtimes and turning off electronics an hour before bedtime are simple solutions that trigger your body to prepare for sleep.
When you are rested, you will feel more able to accomplish the day’s tasks with ease.
Samantha Copeland is the owner of Texas City’s Yoga on 6th With Sam. She has an extensive background as a licensed therapist, fitness coach, personal trainer and yoga instructor. Ms. Copeland follows a simple and holistic approach of staying in balance mentally, physically, and spiritually.
