Sleep Deprived Meaning – 9 Signs of Sleep Deprivation and How to Combat it

As an adult, it’s common to have trouble sleeping. In fact, insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects one in three adults, which can then lead to chronic sleep deprivation. However, don’t worry! There are many different ways to improve your sleeping habits and avoid sleep deprivation. This article will cover some of those methods and offer strategies on how to get the best sleep possible.

What is Sleep Deprivation? Sleep-Deprived Meaning and Effects

Sleep deprivation affects our mental and physical health in different ways. It can make us more prone to accidents and become forgetful, irritable, and stressed. The lack of sleep also affects our immune system which can result in an increase in the severity of colds, flu, allergies, and other ailments. Sleep deprivation can literally make you sick!

The meaning of sleep deprivation is when you get less than the needed amount of sleep, which is 7-9 hours a night on average for adults. Chronic sleep deprivation is when you’re consistently not getting enough sleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the effects of sleep deprivation can be experienced immediately after waking up and may include:

Poor memory

Mood swings

Difficulty making sound decisions

Poor physical performance

Increased risk for unintentional accidents or injuries

Weight gain

So, what are the signs we may be experiencing sleep deprivation? 

1. Sleep Deprivation Can Cause Difficulty Concentrating

Lack of sleep can affect the quality of your work. The more you have to do, the more likely you are to lose focus. It can also cause accidents and mistakes to happen.

It’s impossible to function well if you are not getting enough sleep.

-You will have difficulty concentrating on what you are doing, which means that it can take much longer for something that should only take a couple of minutes to complete.

-You might get careless and make mistakes when doing routine things like cooking, driving or making simple purchases like at a grocery store or coffee shop.

– For those who are chronically sleep deprived, it can lead to more dangerous issues such as not being able to concentrate on the road.

2. Sleep Deprivation May Cause Irritability

A research study conducted by Dr Matthew Walker at the University of California, Berkeley found that sleep deprived people are more prone to anger and irritability than those who get adequate sleep. That means they are less able to control their emotions, which can result in unhealthy decisions and behaviours.

It is not just the lack of sleep that makes you irritable. Research shows that chronic sleep deprivation can lead to increased glucose levels which, in turn, can cause an increase in cortisol levels. These two hormones are responsible for the feeling of stress and anxiety.

Sleep deprivation also affects our ability to focus because it affects how we process information. So even if you are surrounded by distractions, your brain will be more sensitive to them and find them more difficult to ignore. You may find this turns into snappiness at the smallest of things!

Sleep deprivation is the leading cause for people’s short temper and irritability. For example, studies show that people who get four to six hours of sleep a night have more mood swings and bad tempers than those who get eight hours every night.

If you’re looking for a reason why you’ve been so irritable lately, then lack of sleep may be the culprit!

3. Sleep Deprivation May Lead To Feeling Sleepy During the Day

We all know that sleep is the best way to recharge and energise ourselves. But, for many people, they still struggle with sleep deprivation. This can, unsurprisingly, make you feel sleepy during the day which is not only a problem for your health but also perhaps for your job and other responsibilities.

Daytime sleepiness is characterized as feeling tired during waking hours or having difficulty maintaining concentration. It is often caused by lack of sleep from not getting enough hours in bed or poor quality of sleep. It can be seen with fatigue, yawning, heavy eyelids, lightheadedness and slowness in speech.

There are many reasons why someone might be experiencing this problem. Some of these reasons include shift work, medication side effects, central sleep apnea, or poor quality sleep hygiene (snoring or other disruptive factors). Feeling sleepy during the day can have a real knock-on impact on the rest of your life.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is also a common symptom of sleep deprivation. It is caused by the body not getting the amount of rest it needs. Excessive daytime sleepiness has a negative effect on daily life which can affect work, relationships, safety and more.

Studies have shown that one in three adults are experiencing some form of excessive daytime sleepiness which is usually down to chronic sleep deprivation.

4. REM Rebound Effect

According to a study done by Harvard University, sleep deprivation can cause a person to sleep more during the day and less at night. Their study has shown that sleep-deprived people take up to 45-minute naps during the day and can sleep for up to 12 hours at night. This phenomenon is called “REM rebound” in which the brain compensates for lost sleep by reversing it and sleeping more than usual, but not in an evenly distributed manner. 

The brain was found to compensate for lost sleep in three different ways:

1) Napping during the day, which accounted for over 60% of rebound time.

2) Overnight sleeping hours being over 12 hours.

3) Overnight sleeping hours being shorter than average.

If you are sleep deprived then you may find your body compensates with a longer REM stage sleep later on (perhaps in the day).

Sleeping more during the day and less at night is a common side effect of sleep deprivation. This pattern can be observed in both chronic insomniacs and people who only have trouble sleeping during occasional periods of stress or anxiety.

Now, scientists have found out that caffeine can also disrupt this pattern by boosting alertness during the day, but it does not help with nighttime wakefulness.

5. Sleep Deprivation Can Make It Difficult to Remember Tasks and Events

Sleep deprivation can affect the brain in different ways depending on how long a person has been sleep deprived and whether they’re chronically sleep deprived. The more time someone is deprived of sleep, the greater the chance for brain changes.

People who are suffering from chronic sleep deprivation often have difficulty remembering simple tasks and events. They also have problems with attention span, which can lead to a lack of focus.

A study found that people who lost one night’s sleep performed more poorly on short-term memory tests. This can be attributed to the brain not being able to store memories while it is asleep, and so they are forgotten. The person may have a vague recollection of the event but will not remember much detail or anything specific about what happened.

The brain needs sleep for its processing power to work effectively in the morning. If it does not get a good nights sleep, then its ability to function properly will be compromised. 

6. Sleep Deprivation Can Make It Difficult to Perform Physical Activities

A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that sleep deprivation can cause difficulty performing physical activities.

The researchers found that with only one night without sleep, motor function and coordination deteriorate. This is because lack of sleep reduces the body’s ability to regulate aspects like equilibrium and movement. One of the many reasons for this is because, during sleep, the brain removes waste byproducts such as adenosine which causes fatigue.

You may find it difficult to exercise or complete your usual physical activities without a good nights sleep, and this will only worsen with chronic sleep deprivation.

7. Sleep Deprivation Causes Frequent Yawning

While some yawns are a normal response to boredom or tiredness, there are several different reasons why people might feel the need to yawn. Sleep deprivation causes frequent yawning because it is exhausting and depleting for your body to stay awake.

This has been studied by many scientists, including the National Sleep Foundation, and they found that people who don’t sleep enough have an increased amount of yawning. People who are tired have a decreased level of serotonin in their brain, which causes them to be more prone to yawning.

Yawning is a reflex to help increase oxygen intake or to cool the brain. It can also happen when we are tired or bored, when we are trying to clear our throat, or when we are experiencing some form of anxiety. If you find yourself yawning often then you may be in dire need of a good nights sleep.

8. Sleep Deprivation Can Impact Appetite

The connection between sleep deprivation and weight gain is that the brain needs rest in order to control hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin. When we don’t get enough sleep, this can produce more ghrelin which makes us want to eat more leading to weight gain.

A study conducted by the University of Chicago found that sleep deprivation decreases ghrelin levels and increases levels of cortisol, a hormone that stimulates hunger. Researchers note that increased hunger is not just due to lack of sleep because when people are deprived of sleep they also have decreased energy levels.

However, chronic sleep deprivation can also lead to a loss in appetite or even aversions to food. It’s important for people who are sleep deprived to get enough nutrients by eating healthy food so that they stay healthy.

9. Sleep Deprivation May Cause Headaches or Stomach Aches

Too much sleep deprivation can cause headaches and stomach aches. This can happen when your brain and stomach are not getting enough oxygen to function properly. Sleep deprivation can also lead to low levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps maintain mood balance. When there is not enough serotonin, feelings of depression or anxiety are more likely to develop over time.

Sleep deprivation may not be the only cause of these symptoms. Headaches and stomach aches can also be caused by stress, high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety.

Dr James B. Maas, a sleep researcher from Cornell University, found that sleep deprivation can cause headaches and stomach aches and that this can also be impacted by poor sleep quality. 

The Consequences of Poor Sleep Habits

Many people don’t realize the consequences of poor sleep habits. They assume that they can catch up on sleep any time they want but this is not true. Sleep deprivation can have some serious consequences including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

The National Sleep Foundation says that adults need between 7 to 9 hours a night while kids need 10-13 hours for optimal development and cognitive health. Getting less than this on a regular basis can lead to chronic sleep deprivation.

There are many unfortunate consequences of poor sleep habits, and they vary from personal to global. From an individual perspective, sleep deprivation can result in mood swings, inability to focus, anxiety, weight gain, and increased risk of depression. All of these things can be detrimental to one’s personal relationships with others. In a more global sense, there are several consequences that could be the result of poor sleep habits. For example, reduced productivity at work or school can result from feeling unfocused and lethargic. This is something that could affect not just the individual but also their co-workers or students.

There are many reasons why people do not get enough sleep at night. These reasons include difficulty falling asleep due to stressors in life such as work pressure or family issues; difficulty staying asleep due to chronic pain; along with issues such as obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea.

Take Steps to Improve Your Sleeping Habits

Sleeping is one of the most important things in a person’s life. So it is important to make sure that you are getting enough sleep each night.

There are many steps that you can take to improve your sleeping habits and sleep quality. One way to do this is by making some simple changes in your daily routine. Here are a few things you can do:

1) Cut out screen time after 8:00 PM or at least 1-2 hours before bedtime. 

2) Move your body for at least 20 minutes a day, preferably earlier in the day

3) Stick to a sleep schedule, no matter what

4) Have a bedtime routine and stick to it. Ensure it’s something relaxing such as meditating or even reading some of these sleep affirmations.

5) Listen to sleep stories (we have some on our platform)!

6) Avoid caffeine after 3 PM

7) Avoid sugary or high-fat foods before bedtime

If chronic sleep deprivation is becoming a worrying issue, then please do seek the advice of a medical professional.