Sleep Deprivation -- American Health Crisis -- Are You a Sleep Bulimic?

#SleepDeprivation, #SleepBulimia
Why are we so sleep-deprived? Instead of obeying our normal biological rhythms and internal clocks, we follow our social clocks and stay awake much longer than we should. Sleep deprivation is a real problem and has significant health ramifications.

Many of us are familiar with the general mental effects of chronic fatigue from sleep deprivation. We feel mentally slow, can't concentrate, and can't remember things. These are legitimate symptoms because the brain is not transmitting signals as quickly when you are tired, and sleep is when the brain creates new neural pathways to create memories and retain data. However, continued fatigue can have even more significant impacts on the brain, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and increase the risk of accidents and injuries. Have you ever experienced a micro-sleep, (momentarily falling asleep), while at your desk working or worse yet while driving? Besides the immediate danger of a car crash, there are other ways sleep deprivation affects our health.

We know that lack of sleep affects our minds, but did you know that it can increase the risk of developing heart disease by a whopping 48% too? Multiple studies show the effects of poor sleep on blood pressure levels and inflammation levels. Both of which can increase the risk of plaque formation and potential heart attacks and strokes. Is it any wonder that the incidence of heart attacks peak the Monday after the Daylight Savings change in the fall? Or that three recent large scale studies have determined that averaging less than 5 hours of sleep a night results in a 15% decrease in life expectancy? 6,7,8

The decrease in overall life expectancy is also due to the digestive impacts of sleep deprivation. Obesity risk is 50% higher for people who average less than 5 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep increases the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases the appetite control hormone leptin. So we crave more high calorie salty, starchy, and sweet foods. Both for the instant sugar energy and because our hormones are not functioning correctly. Lack of sleep increases our cortisol levels and insulin levels after meals. Both hormones promote fat storage. It is hard not to see the relationship between being chronically sleep-deprived and having 67% of the American population overweight. 6,7,8

So when we don't get enough sleep, our blood pressure increases, our weight increases and then our immune system crashes too. When we sleep, we release specific immune system proteins called cytokines that decrease inflammation and fight viruses and bacteria. The lack of these particular cytokines increases pain levels and causes a three-fold increase in catching a cold. Lack of sleep also decreases natural killer cells, which may increase the risk of certain cancers. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to as much as a 36% increased chance of colorectal cancer. Staying up late and binge-watching television may not be the best thing for our health, but we all probably do it sometimes. I know I'm guilty.

If we keep forcing ourselves to stay awake and damaging our bodies, we may get that eternal sleep sooner than we expect. I know that being asleep for a third of our life seems excessive, but what are we missing out on when we force ourselves to stay awake?

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Video References -- see blog article -- https://guideposttowellnessllc.liveeditaurora.com/service/blog/view?id=110806
Sleep Salon Review -- https://youtu.be/OoPY8JxFDn8
Importance of Sleep https://youtu.be/olUnOiNm96o
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Disclaimer
All material and information presented by Kristy Duncan and/or Guidepost to Wellness is intended to be used for educational purposes only. The statements made about products, supplements, or treatments have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The information herein is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any condition or disease. Please consult with your own physician or healthcare practitioner before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.
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