Sleep Deprivation Symptoms

Sleep deprivation is defined as having too little sleep for either a long or short period of time. When an individual sleeps the body repairs and refreshes itself, so if an individual is not getting enough sleep, the body suffers because it does not receive the proper amount of time to repair and refresh itself.

An average adult requires between seven and nine hours per night though it is something that few people in today's world can successfully achieve. Many are even unaware that they are sleep deprived.

Sleep deprivation can occur for many reasons such as a nightmare, insomnia, stress due to family responsibilities or work, excessive worry, depression, time change, a new baby, anxiety, menopause, undiagnosed medical condition, or an undiagnosed sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation can have serious effects on an individual's health and productivity. Companies lose millions of dollars due to accidents and mistakes caused by sleep deprived employees. Sleep deprived individuals on the roadway pose a hazard to themselves as well as others. Someone that is suffering from sleep deprivation will driving can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver due to slower reaction time.

The most common symptom of sleep deprivation is fatigue. Other symptoms include loss of memory, slurred speech, irritability, difficulty with social or personal relationships, hypertension, tremors, blurred vision, slower reaction time, anxiety, becoming easily irritated, unable to solve problems, inability to focus on thoughts or tasks, intolerance to activity, decreased level of energy, and clumsiness. Sleep deprivation can also affect an individual's metabolism and can result in weight gain, diabetes, and hypertension. The symptoms of sleep deprivation should not be ignored because they affect the way you feel.

Some of the symptoms can also include an increase in illness. Because the immune system recharges during sleep people suffering from this disorder are more frequently ill or take a longer getting over an illness. This disease leads to poor eating habits as well, individuals that are tired during the day due to lack of sleep tend to eat foods with more sugar, carbs, and caffeine to create energy. Others turn to tobacco or drugs to create energy.

In addition to medical conditions that may occur due to this sleeping disorder, physiological problems such as delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations can occur.

People suffering from this sleeping disorder need to get more sleep, but for many this is easier said than done. Fortunately there are many things that an individual can do to promote sleep. An individual can cure their own sleep deprivation by finding and correcting the source that is preventing them from getting the number of hours of sleep they require. For example, an individual that is dealing with a stressful work situation can move to a less stressful job thus alleviating the stress that is the cause of sleep deprivation. If that solution is the cause, or changing jobs is not an option, the individual suffering from this disease can try relaxation techniques, change of diet, or a change to their sleep environment.