Welcome to Kara Schmidt, PA and Registered Dietician for Infant Child & Adolescent Neurology

Side Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

“If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.” – Dale Carnegie.

And most of us would know the truth behind this statement. The human body needs atleast eight hours of rest everyday to function in a proper and efficient manner. Rejuvenation of body cells and muscles are a must if you need to feel refreshed and for this our body requires the good old slumber therapy. (...)

Physical Side Effects

• - Headaches, blurred vision and dizziness are some of the first signs of sleep deprivation.
• - It also leads to feelings of nausea and sometimes a weakening of the immune system. A person might feel feverish and develop colds and other illnesses rather easily.
• - Chronic sleep loss can generally have an adverse effect on the overall health of a person and may lead to obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other lifestyle illnesses.

Mental Side Effects

• - Some of the effects include: lack of concentration, slow reaction time, hallucinations, memory loss, irritability and psychosis.
• - Lack of sleep leads to stress and anxiety, which leads to a state of acute depression and despair.
• - Mental confusion, extreme indecisiveness and a clouding of thoughts are all definitive signs of insufficient sleep.

Effects On Children

• Surprisingly, children are the most prone to any of the above symptoms and the only potent solution is to nip the problem in the bud itself.
• Kids who fight sleep are most often the hyperactive ones and that also can be a disorder in itself. Surprised? Yes, when a child is bursting with energy all day long without rest, then he is probably in the danger zone. So, be careful!
• Another lesser known fact is that children who stay extremely active all day and show no signs of tiring even beyond their bedtime are most probably restless (and not energetic as you thought) from all the exertion of the day and are so fatigued that sleep doesn’t come easy to them.

These are some of the side effects of sleep deprivation. To prevent and fight this disorder, simple steps like sleeping earlier than usual, relaxing a bit before bedtime and ensuring good physical health can be adopted as regular lifestyle choices. We hope that this article answered a few of your questions and made life a little easier for you!

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