Unpacking The Effects Of Insomnia On The Body

We all know how horrid we feel after spending all night tossing and turning when we can’t get down to sleep! But when you have insomnia, you’re constantly depriving yourself of sleep, which eventually affects your body!

From the exercises we do to the food we eat, everything we do affects our body! It can either be good or bad for our bodies.

There’s no difference when it comes to sleep! If you’re not getting enough sleep, it’s going to affect your body somehow. Without the downtime to rest, here are some of the effects of insomnia on the body.

Weight Gain

When you’re consistently getting an insufficient amount of sleep, the hormones leptin and ghrelin are affected. These hormones control your hunger and the sensation of fullness, and without sleep, they don’t get released.

This is why many people find themselves snacking on unhealthy foods late into the night. Then when daytime rolls around, you’ve barely had enough sleep to exercise those extra calories off, and you start picking up a lot of weight!

Diabetes And Heart Disease

Lack of sleep can lower your body’s resistance to glucose, which means you might not be releasing sufficient insulin after meals. That can lead to diabetes mellitus, which can turn to obesity if it goes untreated!

Sleep gives you the rest your body needs to recover from inflammation, regulate your glucose levels, and even rest your blood pressure. Without sufficient sleep, you put your heart and blood vessels at risk, leading to a heart attack or even a stroke!

Puts You At Risk For Dementia And Alzheimer’s

A study at Harvard showed that missing sleep makes you more likely to develop a cognitive impairment at a later stage. So that little bit of brain lag you experience after a night of little rest could very well be your future!

Prone To Viral Infections

During rest, your immune system builds up its defenses so it can fight infection. Without the rest, you’re more likely to catch a cold or infection because your body doesn’t have sufficient defenses to protect you against those infections!

It Affects Your Libido

Lack of sleep can take a toll on your sex drive. Most of it is due to tension and sleepiness, but studies have shown that men produce less testosterone, affecting their sex drive!

It Ages Your Skin

When you don’t get a good night’s rest, you can see it in your sunken eyes and dark circles. When it keeps happening, your skin starts losing its glow, and you can even start developing fine lines!

Fine lines occur when your collagen production is affected because of stress, which results in an increased level of cortisol in the body that affects your collagen production.

Brain Fog

Normally your brain isn’t as sharp after a little less sleep than you’re used to. But over time, your brain gets so exhausted that you’ll start becoming forgetful because your brain can’t store long-term memories.

You might also experience a lack of judgment because your tired brain can’t figure what is in its best interests! You’ll be unable to make a sound call of judgment which can put you in danger!

So if you’re struggling to get the rest you need, you might want to talk to your doctor for some help! They can help you figure out the cause of your insomnia and help you find your sleep so you can avoid all these negative effects of endless sleepless nights!