A lack of sleep or sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on your wellbeing.
If you are concerned about the amount of sleep you are able to get or feeling fatigued, do read on to learn more about both the effects, the signs and also ways to fix a sleep deprivation problem.
What causes sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on both physical health and mental wellbeing. It can be caused by short-term sleep loss (such as when you spend an uncomfortable night on an overnight flight and don’t sleep on the plane), or could be cumulative over weeks or years of regularly not getting sufficient sleep.
Short-term sleep loss may be easier to spot compared to that caused by frequent nights of insufficient sleep. People who regularly don’t get enough sleep may get used to feeling tired and not realise the health implications of sleep deprivation and how much better they might feel if they got enough sleep.
If you have been getting too little sleep regularly, then one night of the recommended 7 to 9 hours sleep will not be enough to make up for the long term sleep deprivation.
How can you recognise signs of sleep deprivation?
There are 5 key signs related to lack of sleep and sleep deprivation
Feeling fatigued
You may be feeling sluggish and tired during the day, even if you got enough sleep the night before. You may feel mentally tired, physically tired, or both.
Falling asleep easily (microsleeps)
People who are sleep deprived can experience nodding off while sitting, even in a meeting, or feeling their eyes close and having a microsleep while doing something like driving a car. Microsleeps and sleepiness during the day can be extremely dangerous since a lack of sleep has been associated with an increase in car accidents due to people falling asleep at the wheel or due to reduced reaction times.
Difficulty concentrating
People who are sleep deprived tend to struggle to focus on tasks, experience memory lapses, and have reduced cognitive abilities. One study found that one night of sleep deprivation was equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% – the equivalent of having two standard alcoholic drinks.
Mood changes
Sleep deprivation causes increased irritability, increased stress and anxiety, and a lower mood.
Increased appetite
People who are sleep deprived tend to eat an additional 385 calories per day and they tend to choose proportionately higher fat and lower protein foods. This is due to disrupted hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) which are regulated during sleep.
Physical pain and illness
Sleep deprivation can be associated with increased headaches, muscle aches, and also a weakened immune system leading to more frequent illnesses.
What can you do about lack of sleep? Can you reverse sleep deprivation?
If you feel you may be sleep deprived, then there are several things you can do to help:
1. Have a consistent sleep schedule
Set a regular bedtime and wake time, 7 days per week, to help regulate your internal clock. Sleep deprivation may be caused by not getting enough sleep during the week and thinking you can catch up at the weekend. However, it’s much better for your health and sleep to get enough sleep every day – seven days a week – as long as your life so circumstances allow.
2. Have a weekend lie-in or take a nap
Although it is far better for your health to get enough sleep at night 7 days per week, there are some circumstances when you simply can’t get enough sleep at night (potentially due to work or family commitments).
In which case, let yourself have a lie-in at the weekend to catch up on some of the missed sleep. You could also try taking a short (20 minute) nap just after lunch to top up your sleep and boost your energy levels for the rest of the day. It is best to avoid napping after about 2 o’clock as even short evening naps can make it much harder to fall asleep when you go to bed. You should also avoid napping and relying on weekend catch up sleep if you are not getting enough sleep during the week because you are struggling to fall asleep rather than life commitments stopping you from getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours sleep.
3. Have a wind down time before bed
Spend 30 minutes to an hour before bed doing something calm and relaxing such as read a good book, do some meditation, have a warm bath or do some gentle stretching or yoga, to help signal to your body that it’s time to calm down and get ready for sleep.
4. Limit screens before bed
Avoid electronic devices such as phones, tablets, and computers at least an hour before sleep, as the bright light emitted from the screens can disrupt melatonin production. If you must use electronic devices near to bedtime, then ensure night mode is activated to reduce the brightness and reduce the blue light frequency which is especially damaging to sleep.
5. Have a comfortable bed and relaxing bedroom
Ensure your bedroom is conducive to sleep by keeping it dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature. If your mattress is more than 8 years old, it may need replacing, since mattresses have a finite lifespan and need to be supportive enough for your spine to help you sleep comfortably. You should also wash and replace your pillows regularly as they can absorb sweat and dead skin cells which can cause allergies and an uncomfortable pillow.
6. Limit caffeine
Avoid consuming caffeine too near to bedtime. As a general rule, avoid it at least 6 hours before bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant and can interfere with falling asleep as well as disrupting sleep quality.
7. Increase exercise
Exercise during the day is good for your physical health and mental health as well as helping boost your alertness during the day and potentially helping you sleep better at night. However, avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime.
8. Get natural daylight during the day
Make sure but you get outside during the day to see natural daylight as that can help you feel more alert and awake during the daytime, and also help you produce melatonin and sleep better at night.
9. Speak to your GP
If you have tried improving your sleep hygiene (as listed above), but still feel sleep deprived during the day, then you should speak to your doctor in case there is something else causing your fatigue. Most common causes of this are sleep apnoea which can disturb the quality of your sleep, or an iron deficiency or a thyroid issue which can cause tiredness even if you think you have had enough sleep.
Don’t live with sleep deprivation
As discussed in this post, sleep deprivation can affect your health and well-being significantly. If you think you are sleep deprived do try to follow the advice above.
If you want to learn more about how to improve the quality of your sleep (especially if you think this may be the cause of your feelings of sleep deprivation), then do take a read of my book, Navigating Sleeplessness, which is packed full of information about sleeping ‘better and for longer’.