Cardiovascular disease
Sleep is crucial to keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy, as it’s during the nighttime hours that blood sugar, blood pressure and inflammation levels are all regulated. Studies have shown that people with poor sleep have a 2.6 times greater risk of myocardial infarction, one-and-a-half to four times greater risk of stroke, and an increased risk of heart attacks.
Mania
Everyone knows that forgoing sleep for too long can have a dramatic effect on your mental state, with decreased mental agility, mood swings, poor decision making and even audio hallucinations all being a side-effect of staying up for too long. Not only that, but poor sleep can also trigger bouts of mania in those with bipolar disorder, which comes along with paranoia and impulsiveness.
Stunted growth in children
Hormone production is another thing that relies heavily on getting the correct amount of sleep. Testosterone release alone requires a person to get three hours of uninterrupted sleep and complete their first REM episode, and growth hormones in children can also be disrupted by insomnia. As a result, children with chronic sleep problems may find their height and muscle mass measurements stalling over time.
Alzheimer’s disease
As you sleep, waste products are removed from healthy brain cells, and worn or damaged structures and pathways in the brain are diligently repaired. If sleep is skipped and these processes are not allowed to occur, the result is cognitive decline, dementia and other brain conditions. One 2013 study even showed that adults with poor sleep had significantly higher levels of beta-amyloid, a marker of Alzheimer’s disease.
Pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is a form of high blood pressure that specifically affects the blood vessels that supply the lungs. Symptoms are dizziness, a racing heart, chest pain and shortness of breath. Given how instrumental sleep is in both regulating blood pressure and repairing damaged blood vessels, it’s no surprise that poor sleep can increase a person’s risk of pulmonary hypertension.
Insulin resistance
Throughout the day, your body releases insulin after you eat, bringing down and regulating your blood sugar levels and thus preventing conditions like diabetes. Sleep deprivation not only causes your body to release less insulin after meals, but it also lowers your body’s tolerance for glucose, which can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes and weight gain.
Depression
Depression is a complex condition which can be exacerbated by numerous lifestyle factors, life experiences and neurological realities. However, a 2014 study found that poor sleep led to an increased risk of depression even in patients with no previous history of the illness. Chronic sleep problems were also linked to a 1.4 times higher risk of thoughts of taking one’s own life.
Chronic bronchitis
If you’ve ever wondered why you need so much sleep when getting over an illness, the explanation is actually pretty simple. While you’re asleep, your body produces antibodies and cytokines, which are both instrumental in fighting off harmful bacteria and viruses. Poor sleep interrupts this process and can deplete your immune system, leading to long-term issues like chronic bronchitis.
Anxiety
If you start to feel antsy, snappy or jittery after a night of tossing and turning, you’ll be familiar with the idea that poor sleep quality can cause anxiety. In addition to finding it harder to retain information or master new skills, chronic sleep deprivation can cause you to develop an anxiety disorder and experience panic attacks, a racing heartbeat and feelings of being overwhelmed.
Prostate cancer
One of the more serious links between poor quality sleep and illness is the one between chronic sleep issues and prostate cancer. One study concluded that men who had continued issues falling asleep were 60% more likely to develop prostate cancer, while those who experienced broken sleep had a 120% increase in their risk. The theory is that melatonin, the sleep hormone, may suppress tumour growth.
