Long term sleep deprivation is incredibly harmful to the body, and can cause a multitude of problems from your physical health to your mental health. Ensuring you achieve 8 hours sleep a night can be a struggle for many, however it is imperative to ensure we are functioning properly and maintaining our health and wellbeing.

Here, Abbas Kanani, Superintendent Pharmacist at Chemist Click reveals the effects sleep deprivation has on your body.

A vulnerable immune system

A lack of sleep could make you more susceptible to catching colds and flu. This is because sleep deprivation can affect your immune system leaving you vulnerable to becoming sick more frequently as your body is not able to fight off infection. If you are finding that you are struggling with sleep, ensure that other areas of your health are looked after, so eating fresh fruit and veg, exercising where you can and drinking plenty of water.

Affected mental health

Sleep deprivation affects your mental state in a big way, if you are not sleeping well your performance throughout the day will be affected. You may find that you can’t concentrate on tasks or feel drained of energy. A lack of sleep may also promote anxiety and depression and may cause long term mental health issues down the line.

Weight gain

Sleeping less could also mean potential weight gain. It has been found that those who have less sleep tend to gain more weight than those who sleep well. This is because when you aren’t sleeping you have increased levels of ghrelin which is the hormone that increases your hunger.

Risk of developing diabetes

Getting a good amount of sleep can also prevent diabetes, so if you are sleep deprived you are putting yourself at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is because when the amount of sleep you get decreases, your blood sugar increases which then puts you at risk of developing diabetes.

Decreased sex drive

You may also notice that your sex drive is lower if not all together missing when you lose sleep, this is because those who don’t get enough sleep have lower libidos and are less interested in having sex. This can affect your relationships and may cause tension in the home.

Low energy

Sleep deprivation also affects you physically, you may not have the normal amount of energy which will affect your daily life. You won’t feel up to exercising which could affect your wellbeing and health long term.

Physical appearance changes

Your face is usually the first thing to show signs that you are not getting enough sleep. You may find that your complexion looks look dull and slightly grey, your skin may be drawn and you may see signs of ageing much quicker than normal. You may also have darker and more prominent under eye bags due to a lack of sleep. This is because your skin needs a good amount of sleep to regenerate.