A lack of sleep can lead to fatigue. However, fatigue is not the only problem that sleep deprivation can cause.
There are serious health problems that are caused by poor sleep.
Suppressed Immune System
Your body produces cytokines and other infection-fighting substances while you are sleeping. These tools are essential for fighting off viruses and bacteria.
If you are not getting enough sleep, your body will not have enough time to produce these substances. This can put you at risk for a number of illnesses and make it harder for you to recover from illnesses.
Weight Gain
There are several reasons sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain. If you are sleep-deprived, your body will produce more ghrelin and less leptin.
Ghrelin stimulates your appetite while leptin suppresses it.
Sleep deprivation also slows down your metabolism.
Additionally, people have a tendency to crave unhealthy foods when they are sleep-deprived.
Heart Problems
You are more likely to gain weight if you are sleep-deprived, and sleep deprivation can put you at risk for developing heart problems.
Heart disease has been linked to obesity.
Coronary heart disease–often simply called heart disease–is the main form of heart disease. It is a disorder of the blood vessels of the heart that can lead to heart attack.
A heart attack happens when an artery becomes blocked, preventing oxygen and nutrients from getting to the heart. Heart disease is one of several cardiovascular diseases, which are diseases of the heart and blood vessel system.
Other cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and rheumatic heart disease. Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Skin Problems
When people say that they need to get their beauty sleep, they are telling the truth. A lack of sleep can lead to hormonal balances that cause breakouts. Sleep deprivation can also lead to wrinkles. Your body produces collagen while you are sleeping, which protects against wrinkles.