Sleep deprivation : Get a better sleep

Each March, World Sleep Day places sleep deprivation in the spotlight, raising awareness for how we embrace our sleep patterns. According to the Sleep Health Foundation in Australia, 20 percent of children don’t get the recommended amount of sleep and up to 40 percent have poor sleep schedules.
Nick Antic, president of the Australasian Sleep Associate wrote in a release for world Sleep Day that healthy sleep is not just about duration, it’s about quality and having a consistent sleep routine that keeps your body clock in sync.

sleep_deprivation

According to the Sleep Health Foundation, the number crunch on the amount of sleep recommended as below :-

Sleep Deprivation : Sleep Recommendation by Sleep health foundation

  • Newborns (up to 2 months): 12 to 18 hours
  • Infants (2 months to 1 year): 14 to 15 hours
  • Toddlers (1 to 3 years): 12 to 15 hours
  • Pre­schoolers (3 to 5 years): 11 to 13 hours
  • School age (5 to 12 years): 9 to 11 hours
  • Teenage (12 to 18 years): 8.5 to 9.5 hours
  • Adults: 7 to 9 hours

There’s are chronic medical conditions associated with sleep deprivation such as :-

Sleep Deprivation, Stimulant Medications, and Cognition

Obesity
– Recent data suggest that people who sleep less than four hours are 73 percent more likely to be obese. Insufficient sleep is asociated with decreased leptin and gihrelin levels. These hormones are responsible for telling our brain that it has enough food. The decrease in hormones can result in food cravings even after adequate caloric intake and produce a feeling of decreased energy.

Diabetes
– A study at the Univeristy of Chicago revealed that a lack of slow wave sleep can decrease the body’s sensitivity to insulin.

Heart disease
-Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increase in cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone.” A rise in cortisol in people with existing hypertension can cause an increase in blood pressure the day following shortened sleep time. Increased cortisol levels over time also can increase a person’s chances of experiencing a sudden cardiac event.

Cancer
A lack of quality sleep time can cause a shift in hormone levels. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the brain during sleep. This hormone is important in cleaning up free radicals in the body, so it is safe to say that the decrease in melatonin could decrease the body’s ability to fight cancer.

Other’s Effects of sleep deprivation

– Irritability
– Cognitive impairment
– Memory lapses or loss
– Impaired moral judgement
– Severe yawning
– Hallucinations
– Symptoms similar to ADHD
– Impaired immune system
– Risk of diabetes Type 2
– Increased heart rate variability
– Risk of heart disease
– Decreased reaction time and accuracy
– Tremors
– Aches

Reference :-CSMOnitor
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