The Impact of Sleep Disorders on Your Well-being
Sleep disorders can severely affect your mental and physical health. If not managed on time, it can increase the risk of severe chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, dementia, etc. so, if you experience sleeping problems for certain weeks, you need to add the above-mentioned tips to improve your sleep hygiene. If your sleep problems persist, then visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org
Ways Sleep Disorders Affect Your Health
Sleep plays a significant role in maintaining good health. In contrast, sleep disorders affect your health, mentally and physically. It includes:
- Immune system:
During your sleep, your immune system releases protective, infection-fighting substances like antibodies and cytokines, which fight off foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses that can harm your body. Even certain cytokines also cause you to sleep, so that your immune system works more efficiently in protecting your body against illness.
When you experience sleep deprivation, it affects your immune system by making it difficult to protect your body from foreign invaders and may increase the time of recovery from illness. Long-term sleep deprivation can increase your risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
- Digestive system:
While eating too much and not exercising, sleep deprivation is another risk factor that leads to weight and obesity problems. This happens because sleep affects two hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control the feeling of hunger and fullness.
Leptin tells your brain when you’ve eaten enough. But without enough sleep, your brain can reduce the leptin hormone and raise ghrelin which can trigger hunger. This is the reason why some people like to eat snacks in the middle of the night or may overeat later in the night.
A lack of sleep can make you feel too tired to work and over time it significantly lowers your physical activity, which ultimately leads to gaining weight because you’re not burning enough calories and building muscle mass.
Additionally, sleep deprivation causes your body to release less insulin after you eat which can increase your blood sugar levels. Over time it may reduce your body’s tolerance for glucose which is linked with insulin resistance. This can increase the risk of diabetes mellitus and obesity.
- Endocrine system:
Your sleep also affects hormone production like testosterone, you need to get at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep around the time of the first R.E.M. episode. Sleep deprivation can negatively affect your hormone production.
It can interrupt growth hormone production, especially in children and adolescents who require adequate rest for building muscle mass, repairing cells and tissues, and providing additional growth functions. The pituitary gland produces growth hormone throughout the day, but mostly when you get enough sleep and exercise regularly to increase its release.
Tips for sleep hygiene
To prevent sleep deprivation ensure you get enough quality sleep. Sleep hours can vary for people depending on the age group, for instance, adults ages 18 and above need to take 7 to 9 hours. To get enough sleep, here are certain sleep hygiene you can adopt:
- Avoid or limit your daytime naps.
- Avoid having caffeine after noon or at least a few hours before bedtime.
- To follow a sleep-wake schedule every day, get to bed at the same time, and wake up in the morning at the same time. Don’tchange your schedule even on weekends and holidays.
- Before bedtime, you can do some relaxing activities like reading, meditating, or taking a bath.
- Avoid heavy meals, especially a few hours before bedtime.
- Exercise regularly, but not in the evening hours close to your bedtime.
- Refrain from using electronic devices right before bed.
- Reduce alcohol intake, especially avoid drinking a few hours before bedtime.
However, if you still have problems sleeping at night or fight daytime fatigue, then talk with your doctor to find the underlying health cause and get the treatment right away.
Need help with sleeping issues, visit our behavioral health clinic in Brooklyn for professional medical support. Book your appointment with the best mental health professionals in Brooklyn where doctors and staff ensure you get the best results. Call us on +1-347-384-5690 to get a consultation. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors and psychiatrists to learn those methods, log on to www.doralhw.org. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.