At some point during our lives, we’ll probably all come to appreciate just how much of a problem sleep deprivation can be. Just one sleepless night can be enough to impact on our concentration and physical performance, with research indicating that chronic sleep deprivation can actually lead to more profound health complications.
While it’s entirely possible to suffer with sleep deprivation even if you lead a perfectly normal, stress-free life, we often find it harder to sleep when we’re travelling away from home; perhaps in a different timezone, in an unfamiliar setting, or in an uncomfortable hotel bed.
Admittedly, this may not present too much of an issue if you’ll be free to lounge around by the pool or stroll through the local town during the day, and if you’ll only be away for a week or two. If you’ll be travelling away from home for much longer than this and your sleep deprivation continues to bother you, however, you may need to take action to help yourself get a better night’s sleep.
In reality, many of us just aren’t all that aware of exactly just how much a lack of sleep could impact negatively on our bodies; if we were, perhaps we’d be more mindful about how we can improve the quality of our sleep.
So, let’s take a look at how failing to get a good night’s sleep can take its toll on our bodies, and our minds.
Your brain can’t cleanse itself of toxins
In 2019, for the first time ever, it was proven that cerebrospinal fluid washes in and out of the brain in waves while we sleep – a process that’s said to be critical to cleansing our brains of ‘toxic proteins’ that can impact the flow of information between our neurons.
As this process only happens when we sleep, logically, it follows that sleep deprivation can significantly reduce the ability of our brain to rid itself of toxins.
While several known toxins have been associated with this process, beta-amyloid is one of the more better-known examples. This toxin forms in brain tissue, and has previously been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other memory problems.
New neural pathways are prevented from forming
When we sleep, new pathways between our nerve cells (neurons) are formed, helping our brains to allocate memory, as well as to store further information.
However, sleep deprivation interrupts and stops and starts this process, leading to simple memory problems – like recalling a conversation you had last weekend, for example.
With chronic sleep deprivation, neural pathways can also get muddled, leading to long-term memory problems, often worsening with age.
Even just one night of poor sleep can lead you to struggle to recall basic information the following day – a clear indication of just how important sleep is to our memory recall.
Your immune system takes a hit
Ever wondered why you often feel better after a good night’s sleep? It’s because your immune system kicks into overdrive while sleeping.
Your immune system triggers an enhanced inflammatory response while sleeping, increasing the production of cytokines associated with inflammation.
Additionally, sleep is your immune system’s cue to release antibodies. For instance, sleep loss is known to decrease the production of antibodies in response to influenza vaccination by as much as 50%.
Furthermore, research shows that people who don’t get enough sleep tend to get sick more often, as well as recovering more slowly when infected with viruses. In other words, a lack of sleep makes you far more susceptible to viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections.
Your metabolism slows down
Just one night of poor sleep can slow down your body’s metabolism, making you feel hungrier, with less energy during the day.
This may be due to the fact that sleep deprivation alters the glucose metabolism and hormones involved in regulating our metabolism, which has been linked to diabetes.
Sleep deprivation also disrupts the way our bodies convert fat to energy, in addition to how we respond to our meals. If you’ve had a particularly bad night’s sleep, you might find that you end up craving more calorie-dense foods the following day. Similarly, this is why we crave fast foods and sugary snacks when we are tired; the 3pm energy slump is certainly no myth!
Research also suggests that sleep deprivation tips the body’s metabolism to store fat, while depleting muscle for energy. If you’re a body-builder, this is the last thing that you’d want to happen to your body.
Your muscles recover more slowly
Waking up in pain after a strenuous workout is a normal bodily response to proper exercise, especially if you’re not used to working out regularly. A lack of sleep can make this problem even worse, however.
You see, sleep deprivation decreases our protein synthesis pathways, with one particular study finding that acute sleep deprivation (i.e., just one night of poor sleep) can reduce muscle protein synthesis by as much as 18%.
But, what exactly is protein synthesis? Well, this is the metabolic process that supports muscle recovery and growth. When this process is interrupted by a change in our sleep routine or habits, for example, our muscles may take longer to recover. This is because sleep deprivation decreases protein synthesis, increasing the likelihood of muscle loss.
So, in plain English, if you want to recover faster from your workouts, and perform better during exercise, you’ll need to ensure you get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.
By becoming more aware of just how much of an impact sleep deprivation can have on your body, you may find you become keener to ensure you get a good night’s sleep. For some simple tips on how to get started with improving your bedtime routine, check out my previous post on how to sleep well while travelling. However, if you find yourself tossing and turning a lot and struggling to get comfortable at night, consider whether it’d pay to invest in a fresh, comfy bedding, or perhaps even a new mattress, to improve bedtime comfort.