What are the Alarming Effects of Sleep Deprivation?

Loss of Memory. During sleep, our brain cells regenerate and heals synapses within our brain to maintain and even improve our memory and learning functions. Going on without sleep will lead us to easily forget some of the things that we easily remember. There is also sufficient study that there is poor performance in writing and speaking with sleep deprivation. If you abuse your body too much, and work more than sleep; it won’t be far that one day even your memories will be a thing of the past forever.
Depression. Lack of sleep can cause one to go deep into depression. Serotonin is a chemical that mediates the regeneration of our brain cells. Serotonin is also considered as that chemical that gives people that happy feeling. In deep sleep, serotonin does its work to keep our brains in tiptop shape. It also helps maintain our mood level to be in the happiness grade.
Obesity. People who work overtime tends to look for other energy sources that will help keep them awake. The easiest source of that energy boost can be in the form of a venti Frappuccino, a cupcake, a burger or a serving of fries. Food with high calorie content is the first thing that your brain will crave for when it feels weak from lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation not only makes you a weak employee, but a very unhealthy one too. However, there are instances that sleep deprivation can cause weight loss to some. But the trends in research leans on weight gain rather than weight loss.
Frailness. The immune system will considerably become weak day after day if there is insufficient amount of sleep. Sleep deprived individuals are more predisposed in getting a cold, a cough or the flu way more often than those who have slept well. During sleep our body regenerates and recharges, without sleep how can the body fend off viruses and bacteria that are just in the air?
Death. Going for days without sleep can ultimately kill you. The body can go on days without water and food, but not without sleep. When the brain is unable to recharge for long periods of time, it will shut down all the organ system – most especially the heart, because it will not have enough energy to pump blood throughout the body. Sleep deprivation can literally suck the life out of us.
Even with these alarmingly scary effects of sleep deprivation, our body is far by one of the best machines around. When our brain feels that it needs to sleep and rest, no amount of coffee or caffeine can keep the body awake. Our brain will shut us down automatically. Keeping both our brains and our body safe.
When you find yourself yawning more than usual, you are getting sloppy with your tasks and becoming more forgetful. You are most probably sleep deprived. Take short power naps of 15-30 minutes during break once or twice a day.

 

Good info!

Hallucinating is another side effect of sleep deprivation.

 

Good info!

Hallucinating is another side effect of sleep deprivation.

 

so is double posting

 

Ha! I didn't get much sleep last night, maybe... I'm on a cell phone and it does that from time to time

 

can sleep deprivation also make you lose lots of weight?

 

^never heard about that!

Nice thread, Cindyanabella, it's all true.

People and especially teens sleep less now because of the availability of screens. Yeah, I'm guilty too. Teens in France sleep about 5.40 hours on average, it's less and less. Heard it on the news a few days ago.

 

I have never understood how power naps work. If I am going to put a short time limit on how long I sleep I would never fall to sleep.

 

I watched a documentary about a research experiment where subjects were forced to stay awake all the time for a number of days. One of the subjects said that after a couple days of being awake she started to have hallucinations. She said she was walking down a city street and saw a bunch of bongo players on the street who weren't really there. It's as if you are dreaming while you're awake.

 

Check this out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphasic_sleep

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLTg2nHZEHQ"]Psych-Kramer Polyphasic - YouTube

 

thank you cindyanabella :2thumbsup::sunny:

 

Hahaha classic.
I think you need more sleep"

Anyways, you are suppose to go for like 3 and a half hours at night, then do the power naps lol