- Because, when was the last you time you got "too much" sleep?
In today’s world, you’re supposed to be always on, always working, always ready to get stuff done. Work and school days start early and end late, you might never see the sun, and pulling an “all-nighter” is somehow seen as virtuous. Being too tired can feel overindulgent, or even shameful — a cardinal sin worthy of the harshest judgment. Say you “slept in,” or admit to being a late-riser, and you risk being called “lazy” or taunted with a “lucky you.”
Unfortunately, this de-prioritization — even stigmatization — of real rest can have dire consequences for many people, harming both the body and the mind. In the short term, lack of sleep can lead to poor performance, irritability, memory impairment, and accidents. Over time, the cumulative effects of insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality can lead to more serious or chronic issues. Here are just some of the ways sleep quantity and quantity can affect your health.
1. Metabolism and Digestive Health
A lack of sleep can have all sorts of influences on gut bacteria and digestive health. It can also increase the risk of conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other gastrointestinal diseases. Studies have shown that sleep dysfunction impacts certain proinflammatory proteins in the body, called cytokines. Changes in these cytokines have been linked to gastroesophageal reflux disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.
On the flipside, taking a deep sleep gummy could help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Plus, many contain ingredients like kombucha live cultures and probiotics, that could be beneficial for your gut health. The relationship between sleep and gut health is complex: gut bacteria could even determine if you’re a night owl, or whether you snore. For optimal functioning, it’s important to take care of both your sleep hygiene and your tummy.
2. Brain Health and Cognitive Function
While you’re asleep, your brain is hard at work consolidating memories and processing all the things you’ve learned in your waking life. Without this processing, your attention and memory get worse, and you may struggle more with executive function (organization, planning, multi-tasking, decision-making). The effect is so intense that medical interns who work shifts longer than 24 hours without sleep make 36% more serious medical errors.
Not getting enough sleep, or sleeping too much, may be associated with worse overall brain health. Sleep can impact how your neurons communicate and how your brain removes toxins and creates new connections. Researchers also think that inadequate sleep can increase your likelihood of developing dementia. However, getting enough sleep could improve neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to recover and restructure itself after an experience or injury.
3. Hormones, Emotions, and Mental Health
Sleep regulates your levels of a steroid hormone called cortisol, which your adrenal glands produce. Sometimes known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol influences other hormones in the body, like epinephrine (adrenaline), thyroid, and estrogen. Proper cortisol levels help regulate your stress response and ward off negative moods in response to stress. Without enough sleep, you’re more likely to experience anxiety, irritability, and a depressed mood.
Children and adolescents who don’t get enough sleep risk developing emotional problems, and may show behavioral issues like hyperactivity and conduct problems. Sleep-deprived adults may struggle to distinguish neutral from emotional content. They may also have emotional deficits and increased negative emotional reactions to events. Sleep problems also tend to co-occur with mental health disorders and can make existing mental health issues and symptoms worse.
4. Immune Function and Longevity
Sleep plays an important role in supporting the way your immune system functions. Getting too little sleep can make you more likely to get sick and can mean you get better more slowly. Sleep impacts the body’s inflammatory response, which can lead to chronic inflammation-related disease. Even a small reduction in sleep time for just one night can generate inflammation and slow down the cells that fight tumors.
Chronic sleep deprivation, on the other hand, could actually be killing you slowly. On average, adult men who get enough sleep live an average of five years longer than those who don’t. Meanwhile, women who get enough sleep can extend their life span by as much as two years. Getting enough can even lower your risk of suffering from dementia, diabetes, and other potentially lethal medical conditions.
5. Muscle Recovery and Pain Perception
Sleep deprivation may also influence the way your body perceives pain. After 24 hours of total sleep deprivation, healthy people may show more sensitivity to pain. Sleep impairments are associated with chronic pain conditions like back pain, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis. People with multiple sleep-related disorders may also show worse pain symptoms than people with just one.
During sleep, the body repairs tissue, helps muscle recovery, and heals injuries. Poor sleep quality or sleep deprivation could slow recovery times and muscle regeneration. On the other hand, getting extra shuteye could improve the rate of healing. It could also reduce the risk of re-injury, since better sleep quality improves reaction times and hand-eye coordination. Better sleep could also improve the strength, speed, and power of your muscle functioning.
Rest Easy
The relationship between sleep and mental health is a complicated, delicate balance. Getting it right can mean the difference between a long, healthy life and a lifetime of frustration. Making time for sleep can be tough in a culture that values constant momentum over healthy forms of self-care. However, it’s clear that getting enough sleep is actually better for your body, your mind, and your performance.