Fatal lack of sleep

Lack of sleep is not just a nuisance, which reduces efficiency. Chronic lack of sleep threatens deadly consequences. How exactly? Let’s figure out.

Each person has individual needs in the duration of sleep. Children for the recovery require more time to sleep, adults a little less.

Chronic sleep deprivation develops due to lack of sleep or due to various sleep disorders. The most common of them is insomnia, and respiratory arrest (apnea). By reducing the duration of sleep human health can be jeopardized.

Animal experiments show that long-term sleep deprivation (SD) leads to disease and even death.

Sleep deprivation and accidents

Numerous studies have shown that lack of sleep increases the risk of road accidents. Sleepy people are less attentive and may fall asleep at the wheel during monotonous driving. Thus, the lack of sleep behind the wheel can equate to intoxication.

According to experts, the symptoms of prolonged sleep deprivation resembles a hangover: a person develops a rapid heartbeat, there is a hand tremor, reduced intellectual function and attention.

Another important factor is the time of day. So, driving at night instead of the usual sleep increases the likelihood of an accident.

Threats at night shift

In the media you can find a lot of examples of how lack of sleep leads to accidents and even disasters on production.

For example, according to one version, the cause of the crash of the tanker Exxon Valdez and the oil spill in Alaska in 1980-ies was because of the lack of sleep from its team.

Working the night shift is one of the major risk factors of accidents in the workplace. However, if a person is constantly working at night and the sequence of sleep and wakefulness tailored to this task – the risk is reduced.

If working in the night shift sleepy, the risk multiplies. It is caused by lack of sleep, and due to the fact that at night-time biological rhythms of the person force to “turn off” concentration. The body thinks that night is for sleep.

Lack of sleep and heart

Chronic lack of sleep leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that sleep duration of less than five hours a day in several times increases the chance of heart attack.

According to experts, sleep loss increases inflammation in the body. Sleepy people have a level of marker of inflammation – C-reactive protein in the blood increased. This leads to damage of blood vessels, increases the likelihood of atherosclerosis and heart attack.

Also, the sleepy person will often have increased blood pressure, which can also lead to overload of the heart muscle.

Lack of sleep and obesity

Finally, numerous studies confirm the link between sleep deprivation and high risk of obesity.

Lack of sleep has a serious impact on the metabolic processes in the human body, increasing feelings of hunger and reducing the feeling of fullness. This leads to overeating and weight gain.

So, we have to admit that lack of sleep can be deadly. Even if you don’t have to work the night shift and driving at night, obesity and heart disease can take several years of productive life. Let’s observe the rules of healthy sleep!

More about fatal insomnia watch in the video below:

 
Fatal Insomnia: (lack of sleep can kill - and we're not talking car wrecks)

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