Causes Of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is when an individual fails to get enough sleep over a long period of time. There are many factors in everyday life that can contribute to sleep deprivation. It could be school, work, or children if the individual has any. Any age group or gender can experience the mental and physical health effects of sleep deprivation which could be, difficulty remembering, weight gain and decreased performance. Many people struggle with managing their time so that they are able to get enough sleep and still be able to finish everything that they need to get done during their day along with being able to have free time. Many people believe that it is normal to not have enough rest, but don’t understand how serious it is to not get enough …show more content…
One of these sleep disorders is insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes people to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. With insomnia, much like sleep deprivation, you wake up feeling “unrefreshed, which takes a toll on your ability to function during the day. (Mayo Clinic Staff). Another sleep disorder that causes sleep deprivation is restless legs syndrome, which is a disorder that effects the neurons in your body and causes a throbbing or tingling sensation and causes a person to have the uncontrollable need to move their legs so that they can stop feeling this sensation. Sleep apnea, which is a disorder that temporarily stops you from breathing in your sleep, also contributes to sleep deprivation because during these breathing pauses it can lead to waking up at least 8 times a night- causing you to be exhausted during the day. And lastly narcolepsy, which is a disorder that causes uncontrollable sleepiness during the daytime. This causes uncontrollable “sleep attacks” during the day no matter if you are driving, talking, or working which is extremely dangerous. During these sleep attacks, your body …show more content…
Sleep deprivation can affect your central nervous system, which is a part of your body that receives and sends sensory information and during the time that you sleep, your CNS forms new pathways for neurons to travel in. The immune system is also affected if a person is experiencing sleep deprivation. The immune system is the part of your body that fights against germs and helps build a resistance and reduces the chances of you getting sick. During your sleep the immune system creates more antibodies and cells so that your body is able to protect itself from any illnesses. In addition to your Immune system being affected, the respiratory system, which is the part of your body that delivers air to the lungs; also experiences problems because of how closely they work together. If you catch a cold, you will most likely experience problems in your respiratory system (i.e.-coughing). Weight gain is also a problem when you are sleep deprived because of how it effects your digestive system. Because of this, if you are sleep deprived you are more likely to get diabetes. Studies