About 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder—30% of adults having short-term insomnia. According to the CDC, adults should be getting 7 or more hours of sleep every night. Lack of sleep or good quality sleep can affect your health, mental well-being, and ability to perform everyday activities. There are many symptoms of sleep deprivation, noticeable ones include:

feeling drowsy

frequent yawning

daytime fatigue and body pain

irritability

Keep reading to learn what happens to your body when you're sleep-deprived.

Makes you gain weight

Your body produces two hormones that limit and regulate your hunger; ghrelin and leptin. When you're not getting enough sleep, your body increases its ghrelin production, which makes you hungry. On the other hand, leptin keeps your body weight and fat in check. The hormonal imbalance due to sleeplessness affect your hunger and body weight.

Weakens your immune system

Your immune system needs to work efficiently to fight off viruses, infections, and bacteria. Sleep deprivation hinders its performance, making you more likely to fall sick. You need to get proper sleep if you want your immune system to be able to combat illnesses.

Increases the risk of heart diseases

Like your immune system, your heart also needs sleep to heal and rebuild vessels and maintain blood pressure, sugar levels, and inflammation control. Sleep deprivation affects this entire system and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Induces the risk of death

Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest factors for accidents on road. Drivers doze off, which can be a fatal mistake, resulting in respond timely upon regaining consciousness to save themselves from the car crash—with many giving in to their fatal injuries.

Impacts your brain and mental health

According to the Sleep Foundation, your brain activity fluctuates while you sleep. These activities affect your thinking, learning, and memorizing capabilities. If your brain cannot perform essential functions and process information, it'll soon influence your mood and behavior. Additionally, long-term sleeplessness can eventually lead to a depressive disorder.

How to overcome sleep deprivation

Dealing with sleep deprivation can be difficult. However, there are ways to overcome the issue. Avoid using your phone or any other devices in bed; ditch them for a few hours before you jump in, so your brain has time to get bored and puts you to sleep.

Develop a workout routine that gets you tired by bedtime. Lastly, if all else fails, get yourself some premium OTC sleep aids for a good night's sleep.

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