The Danger of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is catastrophic to our health, spiking risks for cardiovascular disease, dementia, and diabetes. Yet, a dangerous culture of sleep deprivation thrives in our world. In less than 100 years, we, as a society, have lost more than an hour of sleep, going from 7.9 hours in 1940 to 6.5 today. We may well know how bad sleep deprivation is for us, but science is just starting to figure out why. The hallmark of any psychiatric disorder or neurodegenerative disease is abnormal neurotransmitter signaling. Sleep and circadian timing systems utilize a large number of neurotransmitters, and play a large part in regulating their availability within the body. Therefore, when sleep cycles get out of whack, so do neurotransmitters. Enter a bevy of psychiatric disorders. Patients with diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's tend to simultaneously experience sleep problems, which compounds their disease symptoms, further impairing their cognition and emotions. Yet, interestingly, improvements in sleep quality tend to slow down these diseases. Less sleep also makes us less social creatures. Sleep deprivation affects nearly every system in our bodies. Regularly sleeping less than 6 hours a night greatly reduces your immune systerm, doubles the risk for cancer, and is a major determining factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, substance abuse issues, as well as all major psychiatric conditions. Some studies have shown these levels may return back to normal following a couple of nights of catch-up sleep, but persistent sleeplessness increases the risk of developing full-blown diabetes by about two to three times.