By Steven Ross Pomeroy, Forbes
We all know how we feel when sleep-deprived: tired, groggy, and grumpy. But have you ever considered all of the ways just a single poor night of sleep may be messing with you? Science has revealed a great many ramifications that you’ve probably never thought of.
Sleep-deprived. Courtesy: www.weightymatters.ca
1. You’re more depressed and anxious. In 2008, researchers assessed 226 individuals who had six or more hours of sleep the previous night and 112 individuals who had less. The “poor sleep” group scored significantly higher in levels of stress, depression, and anxiety compared to those that slept longer.
2. You pee more the next night. During the night, urine production naturally declines, permitting us to achieve uninterrupted sleep. But if you’re sleep deprived from the night before, this mechanism doesn’t work as efficiently. Examining 10 male and 10 female subjects over a 48-hour period, scientists found that when sleep deprived, both genders produce “markedly” larger amounts of urine, potentially translating to additional nighttime visits to the bathroom.
3. You eat more, and more unhealthily. What happens if young men get four hours of sleep instead of eight? They consume about 560 additional calories the following day. Moreover, when both men and women are sleep-deprived, they choose foods like pizza or doughnuts over healthier fare. According to researchers at Berkeley , a lack of sleep seems to dampen activity in the brain’s frontal lobe — an area tied to complex decision-making — and elevates activity in the reward centers.
Read the full article by Steven Ross Pomeroy, Forbes.
