Sleep deprivation is the lack of sleep or reduced duration of sleep that damages one’s health in long run. The main reason behind lack of sleep these days is due to the lifestyle and excess interaction with gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets etc that promotes laziness and reduce physical activity manifold.

Sleep deprivation is the root cause of health deterioration as well as reduced life expectancy even though no one cares about the hours of sleep needed. Most of us spend two-third of our nights scrolling through phones using social media. Or watching a tv series, that causes insomnia if the habit persists. Sleep deprivation comes with a lot of health issues that we take for granted.

An average hour of sleep that is needed for an adult is around 7-8 hours, which is necessary for the body to perform metabolic activities and maintain homeostasis of the body. The lesser we sleep the more complex it would become for the body to perform efficiently that ultimately damages several organs of our body.

Effects on the body :

• The cardiovascular system: Lack of sleep can severely damage the functioning of the heart. An adequate amount of sleep helps to maintain blood pressure, sugar levels etc that prevent the chances of increased heart disease.
• Brain: Sleep deprivation can cause the altered perception as well as visualization. A lack of sleep may also make it harder for a person to form new memories, which can affect learning.
• Hormonal imbalance: Insufficient sleep can cause a hormonal imbalance that upset the entire machinery. Lack of sleep causes release of stress hormone that builds up unnecessary tension in the muscles and nerves.
• Fertility: Poor sleep may affect the production of hormones that boost fertility.
• The immune system: Sleep deprivation may cause a person to be more prone to infections, that leads to various diseases.

There are lots of ways to tackle the problem of sleep deprivation such as medication, cognitive behavioural techniques, relaxation techniques and Homecare strategies. Among all of the methods mentioned, homecare strategies is the most effective way because of no side effects related to it.

Some of the home care strategies are:

• Get a regular exercise.
• Try to take power nap of 15 mins during day time.
• Avoid having dinner just before going to bed.
• Limit the consumption of caffeine.
• Try to go to bed and waking up same time every day.
• Try to do physical activities or workout a little.
• After trying to fall asleep for 20 minutes, get up and read, then try again later.

References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/

• https://www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/25984

• https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0116906

• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/