3 signs of danger await you when you plan to pull up an all-nighter. Are you a night owl? Do you binge-watch Netflix at midnight or work till late hours? If yes, you must know that all these negatively impact your health. And before you know, it’s too late! But what kinds of danger are we talking about? Well, it is deeper and more complicated than you think.
You may not perceive the effects in the beginning, but sleep deprivation slowly kills your body’s optimal functions over time. You are actually compromising your productivity, looks, and most importantly, your mental health. So, firstly, let us see the signs that you are possibly ignoring by not giving your body the much due night’s sleep.
Table of Contents
Increased Restlessness
The first out of 3 signs is triggered by an irregular bedtime schedule. Whether you are munching snacks before sleep, taking short naps, or stimulating pastime activities during pre-sleep hours, your sleep cycle takes a toll. A routine devoid of sleep hygiene can display restlessness symptoms like –
- Dizziness
- Uncontrolled emotions
- Being less patient than earlier
- Feeling perplexed most of the time
- Lack of concentration to focus on your daily tasks
- Rise in the need for instant dopamine to make you feel better.
After-effects
In the long run, increased restlessness can be a cause for your staggering health and well-being. You will stifle your concentration and your ability to retain will decline. It may affect your personal relationships with the people around you.
Anxiety
Out of the 3 signs of concern due to lack of proper sleep, stress and anxiety are the most dangerous ones as they harm your memory power, alter brain functions, signal inflammation, and adversely affect your heart and blood pressure. Our body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline as it readies itself for the ‘fight and flight’ mode. Symptoms include –
- Panic Attacks
- Sweating profusely
- Heavy and fast breathing
- Feeling tensed and nervous
- Palpitations (increased heartbeat)
- An unwanted churning sensation in your stomach.
After-effects
Chronic stress developed from a long-term habit of worrying and stress can cause structural degeneration and diminish the activities of the hippocampus (a brain structure pivotal for memory and learning functions). Neuropsychiatrist disorders flare up during this period that may amplify schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among other impaired brain functions.
Dark Circles
We come to the last or the 3/3 signs to notice on your body to know it’s high time to take care of your sleep schedule. Dark circles or eyebags are pretty common to see when you do not sleep adequately. Did you know that staying awake during the night also causes dark circles around your eyes?
Also, if you stress often or are tired very quickly, dark circles arrive. It is due to the dilation of capillaries beneath your epidermis (outermost layer of skin) that bursts and appears dark-colored. You can conveniently detect its symptoms like –
- Tired eyes
- Droopy eyelids
- Large eyebags
- Dark pigmentation of skin beneath our eyes.
After-effects
There is no significant harm for dark circles for prolonged periods. You will simply notice that your face looks more exhausted than earlier and your eyes are in dire need of a quality sleep that you fail to provide.
Tips To Sleep Well | 3 Signs of Improper Sleep
To get better quality of sleep, simply eliminate a few things that meddle with your sleep hygiene. A few things you can follow are:
- Partaking in meditational activities.
- Switch off electronics 1-2 hours before sleep.
- Practice slow breathing, reading, or journaling.
- Prioritize your health and well-being over work.
- Ensure that you finish your dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- Keep your dinner light, unlike your breakfast and lunch, which are heavy, and take care of your daily nutritional intake.
Summing It Up
These were the 3 signs of danger that you probably ignore and risk your life unknowingly. Other signs may include weight alteration, headache, insomnia (sleepless nights), etc. Your body tries to tell you that it needs sleep to function well. You definitely don’t want to miss out on the benefits of good sleep.
It freshens up your mood, maintains circadian rhythm or your body’s biological clock, and allows your vital organs to remain at their best level. So, it’s high time you audit your schedule, time-table and daily activities to make sure you carve time for your sleep. Because, as they say, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything”, and I bet you won’t disagree.
Further Reads :
5 Reasons Why You Should Never Work Out In Polluted Weather
Healthy Drinks to relieve Constipation and Fasten your Bowel movements
