4 Diseases Caused By Lack Of Sleep

Since sleep apnea wakes the victim up many times throughout a night, sleep apnea patients typically don’t get high-quality sleep. While sleep apnea can create worsening conditions, the lack of sleep it causes is damaging within itself.

The body needs sleep to replenish cells, and when sleep isn’t happening it can have a devastating effect on various parts of a person’s body. These are 4 of the diseases and conditions caused by not getting sufficient sleep.

Depression

A controversial ailment that can be created by a lack of sleep is depression. Depression ranges greatly in the damage it does but can affect every aspect of your life. In people who already suffer from clinical depression, lack of sleep can induce a state of mania.

There are a lot of reasons why someone may become depressed. If you haven’t been getting high-quality sleep, then that may be part of the cause of your depression. If catching up on rest doesn’t rid you of your depression, then seek a doctor for treatment before symptoms get worse.

Heart Disease

Cardiovascular diseases are such a major threat to your health, they are the number one cause of death worldwide. An interesting aspect of this lethal disease is that it’s most often caused by human behavior. Actions like smoking, poor dietary habits, and a sedentary lifestyle can all contribute to heart disease.

Lack of sleep puts undue strain on the heart muscle. This combined with other traits of poor sleep habits can have a massive negative impact on the heart. Since heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the world, lack of sleep is a condition not to be taken lightly.

Type 2 Diabetes

Researchers at Harvard found a link between lack of sleep and significant weight gain. For some, this weight gain can push them into obesity, a condition that is highly damaging to the body. Since sleep deprivation causes the body to release additional insulin after eating, it creates ideal conditions for diabetes to develop. To decrease the risk of diabetes, ensure that you get plenty of sleep and follow a balanced diet.

Hypertension

Another harmful condition brought about by a lack of sleep is hypertension. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is harmful in that it’s responsible for a slew of other damaging ailments. Research from Harvard Medical School suggests that even a single night without sleep can elevate a patient’s blood pressure for the entire next day.

** This post was originally published on https://sleepapneahallam.com/2017/02/01/4-diseases-caused-lack-sleep/