7 Ways Lack of Sleep Affects You

We all know that sleep is important for us, but how important? More importantly, how does it affect us when we get too much sleep, or for college students, too little sleep? Recently, college students have gone back to class and are just getting around that hump of beginning their classes. This is when all the professors throw everything that they can at the students and expect them to swim. As a college student myself, I’ve noticed that I am going to bed a lot later and waking up a lot sooner to do homework and reading assignments. Over the past month of waking up at 6 a.m. every morning and going to bed around midnight every night, I’ve noticed some things about me that has changed. My memory has dropped significantly, cravings of sugary foods and drinks, late night snacking or eating, and my cognition has declined as well. While I am aware of the multitude of other aspects that could be playing a role in these changes, I want to focus on how sleep is truly affecting all of it.

1. Hippocampus

hippocampus brain

A hippo-what? The hippocampus is a section in the lower bottom part of your brain that enables your memory and learning. The hippocampus is mostly affected by the quality of sleep you get, not necessarily the quantity. When you do not get quality sleep your memorization and leaning capabilities suffer because your brain is in a constant overload, of processing information. Lately, I haven’t been getting the quality of sleep that I need, and I cannot remember anything! I can’t remember where I put my keys, or phone. I am also having a harder time understanding what my professors are saying as well.

2. Hormones

hormones

It’s no secret that hormones play a role in everything that we do every single day, but how is it altered when we lack sleep? When we don’t get the quality and quantity of sleep needed, our hormones go out of sorts. There becomes a chemical imbalance within our brain and depending on which chemical is overexerted or under exerted it can cause mood swings. It can also cause us to have cravings, headaches, decreased immune system, and increased blood sugar levels. I have noticed within myself that I’m having mood swings, and I am craving junk foods that I would never ever eat.

3. Stress Management

While stress management for a sleep competent person can be difficult, for the college students who are lacking sleep quality and quantity, this becomes a whole new level of difficulty and struggle. I am very good at load and stress management, but now that I have lacked the proper sleep, it feels as if everything has piled up on itself and now an assignment such as this feels like it is the end of the world. This lack of sleep has shortened my attention span and decreased my ability to think properly.

4. Physical Stress

Everyone experiences physical healing even without any bumps, bruises, or scrapes. Our physical activities put stress on our bones and joints, breaking them down. When we sleep our body regenerates and builds back the bone that was lost in our physical movement. When we don’t get enough sleep, we become weak because our body wasn’t able to regenerate fast enough during the small period that we were asleep. I typically don’t bruise easily, but recently I have been getting bumps and bruises all over my arms. From walking into things around school and home, I look like I’ve been beaten up!

5. Dementia

Going off the previous section about physical healing, it also affects our mental healing as well. When we don’t get enough sleep, it affects our brains and can cause some serious problems such as dementia. With the constant overload of information and lack of “resting” time for our brains, our brains will deteriorate in areas that are not being used to compensate in other areas that are being overused. The saying, “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” is the truth. While this is more of a long-term affect, I have noticed some of the affects in my creativity. I used to be a very out of the box thinker and now I am very straight to the facts, it is what it is and there is no other way to solve it.

6. Eating Habits and Cravings

While we all have routine eating habits (breakfast, lunch, dinner), when you are lacking sleep, you find yourself eating at weird times of the days and you will be craving sweets. When I have proper sleep, I usually eat 4 meals a day and they are all relatively healthy. I don’t care for sweets or sugars, but ever since I haven’t been getting enough sleep, I have been craving chocolate, candy, soda, highly caffeinated drinks to keep me going. Instead of eating a salad, I’ve been catching myself eating fried foods or greasy burgers.

7. Driving Drowsy

asleep at the wheel

Driving drowsy is never a good idea, some experts compare it to intoxicated driving. Driving drowsy encompasses everything that I have already mentioned, but now you are behind the wheel and your actions are now affecting everyone around you. Just as an intoxicated person, your actions, perception, and attention are severely altered. I will admit that I have driven while I was extremely tired, and I noticed that I was driving UNDER the speed limit, and I was swaying from lane marking to lane marking. Never ever drive when you are extremely tired. It is also punishable by law, and you can be charged under a DUI.