Don't Ignore Sleep Disorders, This Is Its Bad Effects

Generally, adults need time to sleep for 7-8 hours each night to keep the body fit. However, those who experience sleep disorders can sleep up to more than 8 hours or even less than 7 hours. Various adverse health effects can lurk people with sleep disorders. Sleep disorders can occur in various forms, such as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep conditions (insomnia), falling asleep without knowing the time and place (narcolepsy), and sleep apnea. Sleep disorders can be caused by many things, such as psychological conditions due to stress, depression, anxiety disorders, or physical conditions in the form of respiratory disorders, such as asthma, allergies, or colds. It could also be due to the influence of alcoholic drinks and environmental conditions when going to bed. The aging process, lifestyle, and daily sleep patterns can also affect. Lack of quality sleep, will cause you to wake up with a tired body condition and often sleepy during the day.

Recognizing the Bad Effects of Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders that only occur occasionally will not actually be bad for health, but you must be vigilant if this condition occurs repeatedly and prolonged. The following are health risks that you can experience from sleep disorders:

• Aging

When lack of sleep, the body releases a stress hormone called cortisol which can break down collagen, a protein that keeps skin elastic and smooth. The result, most people who sleep deprived continuously experience pale skin, dark circles under the eyes, fine lines on the face, and skin that is not bright.

• Obesity

Lack of sleep can make you gain weight. According to research, people who have sleep disorders tend to have a higher appetite and hunger. They also tend to eat foods with high levels of fat and carbohydrates. In addition, the possibility of the body also becomes easy to feel tired so lazy to exercise.

• Depression

The relationship between depression and sleep disorders is very close. Sleep deprivation can lead to depression, while depression can also make you difficult to sleep. The most common sleep disorder that can trigger depression is insomnia.

• Decreased immune system

Lack of sleep makes your immune system weak. The result, you are more susceptible to disease. According to research, people who sleep 7 hours or less each night are more susceptible to colds than those who sleep 8 hours.

• Memory loss

When you sleep soundly, your brain will process and strengthen your memories. Memory tends to be more difficult to store properly when you experience sleep deprivation. In addition, lack of quality and quantity of sleep can also affect your concentration power, making it difficult to process information and remember.

• Difficult to think clearly

If you do not get enough time and quality of sleep, your cognitive function and decision-making abilities will decrease. In addition, lack of sleep seems to also make you careless, like forgetting to bring a wallet or cellphone.

• Decreased sex drive

In both men and women, lack of sleep can reduce libido and desire to have sex. Not only that, a study says that men who experience sleep apnea, can experience decreased levels of testosterone, due to the cessation of breathing several times during sleep.

• Fertility is impaired

Reproductive hormone production will decrease when you experience prolonged sleep disorders. So, if you want to quickly have children, try to sleep well with sufficient duration.

In addition, sleep disorders can increase the risk of getting some serious illnesses, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, or stroke. It is best to check with your doctor if you experience sleep disorders or find it difficult to sleep well. Your doctor will probably do a sleep study to find out the exact cause, so that it can provide treatment in accordance with the sleep disorder that you experience.