Lack of sleep - the consequences of too little sleep

Many people regularly sleep too little, even though sufficient sleep is important for our daily performance and a healthy everyday life. But what really happens when we consistently sleep too little? Here you can find out how sleep deprivation can affect our bodies and what persistent lack of sleep means for our health.

Table of contents

1. Far too little sleep
2. What does lack of sleep mean?
3. consequences of too little sleep
1. effects on the psyche
2. effects on the body
3. noise & sounds
4. Consequences of sleep deprivation at a glance
5. Preventing Sleep Deprivation
6. Conclusion

1. Far too little sleep

More and more people are not getting enough sleep and are neglecting their nighttime sleep in favor of professional or social obligations. Experts generally recommend that adults get around 7-8 hours of sleep on a regular basis. The results of a sleep study by the Techniker Krankenkasse show that this amount of sleep is rarely achieved these days. One in two Germans already regularly sleeps less than six hours a day. And this despite the fact that sufficient, restful sleep is of great importance, especially in an increasingly stressful everyday life.

2. What does lack of sleep mean?

Sleep is the central recovery period for our body and should therefore not be too short. Numerous repair and recovery processes take place during sleep. The immune system is running at full speed, we process experiences and information and also gather new energy for the next day. Night after night we go through several sleep cycles, which in turn are divided into different sleep phases. What exactly happens during sleep, you can find out here read more. Nights that are too short or frequent sleep interruptions can disrupt the natural flow of our sleep and the regeneration processes that take place during it. A regular amount of sleep is very important so that we wake up refreshed in the morning and can cope with our everyday lives in a healthy and efficient manner. The good news: Short-term sleep deprivation can be compensated for and lost sleep can be made up for. However, if you permanently reduce your sleep and do not meet your individual sleep needs, you are not only endangering your daily well-being in the long term, but also damaging your own health.

3. Consequences of too little sleep

Lack of sleep prevents the body and mind from regenerating sufficiently. This can have numerous negative consequences, especially in the long term.

effects on the psyche

Reduced brain and memory performance
During sleep, our brain processes the day's experiences and transfers relevant information to long-term memory. Even an acute lack of sleep leads to a reduction in these so-called neurocognitive functions, which means that the brain reacts less well to external stimuli, memory deteriorates and the ability to pay attention while awake is weakened.

Decreasing stress resistance & mood swings
Lack of sleep promotes the release of the "stress hormone" cortisol, which puts additional strain on our brain and reduces our general resistance to stress. We feel increasingly stressed, are more irritable, suffer from mood swings and find it difficult to relax.

effects on the body

Disturbed metabolism and hormone balance
If you don't get enough sleep, the metabolic processes that are crucial for nighttime regeneration are disrupted. The renewal and development of new cells in muscles, skin and other tissues are disrupted, with the release of important growth hormones being negatively affected. In addition, the energy stores in muscles and brain cannot be fully replenished. Blood sugar levels are also negatively affected by persistent lack of sleep, increasing the risk of obesity or diabetes.

weakening of the immune system
During sleep, the number of natural defense cells in the body increases, harmful substances are removed and the body's cells are repaired and renewed. Studies show that even a single sleep deficit of three hours impairs the function of the defense cells. Those who do not sleep enough therefore weaken the development of a strong immune system and are more susceptible to infections and diseases.

Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Even a slight, regular sleep deficit of one to two hours per night puts the body into a state of stress. The cortisol level rises and puts our body on alert, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. This puts additional strain on the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in the long term.

Consequences of sleep deprivation at a glance

• reduction in cognitive performance and ability to concentrate

• Reduced memory performance

• mood swings & irritability

• Reduced physical performance

• Weakened immune system

• Increased risk of disease, e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease

4. Prevent sleep deprivation

Because we can easily compensate for a small sleep deficit and catch up on sleep, the odd short night is usually not a problem. A regular lack of sleep, on the other hand, means that the body is repeatedly unable to regenerate sufficiently. As a result, we gradually lose performance, affect our well-being and damage our health.

There are a variety of reasons why we neglect our sleep and cannot meet our individual sleep needs. In order to cope with your everyday life without any problems and to maintain your health and performance, you should try not to go without sleep for professional or social reasons in the long term. You can find out how you can improve your sleep in the long term in this article.

Danger: If sleep disorders or health problems are the reason for a permanent sleep deficit, you should definitely seek advice from a doctor.

5. Conclusion

• Every second German already regularly gets too little sleep – The trend is increasing.

• Lack of sleep impairs physical and mental performance and harms health and well-being.

• Too little sleep weakens the immune system and increases susceptibility to illnesses, infections, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Best regards and see you soon!