Health problems from poor sleep -

From an increased risk of accidents to depression, sleep deprivation only leads to problems

Voluntary sleep deprivation, alteration of sleep/wake patterns and pathologies associated with sleep that affect its quality carry a higher risk of psychiatric pathologies such as depression and anxiety, metabolic pathologies, such as poorer control of diabetes, and contribute to cardiovascular risk factors and are even associated with an increased risk of immunological diseases.

Up to 80% of the population could suffer from insufficient sleep syndrome

As Dr. Odile Romero, secretary of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Sleep Society, explains to Infosalus, the population does not sleep the hours they should, it is what is known as insufficient sleep syndrome, up to 80% of the population could suffer from it.

Insufficient sleep syndrome is due to social and family conditions that lead to fewer hours of sleep than necessary “although we are coping with it with rest during the holidays,” says Dr. Romero, head of the Clinical Neurophysiology Section and coordinator of the Multidisciplinary Sleep Unit at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona).

Although occasional sleep deprivation is very common and is not a cause of pathology, the specialist points out that we should be alarmed when it affects quality of life and the level of mood and motivation.

Health problems caused by poor sleep quality

We take a look at some of the health problems caused by poor sleep quality and how in many cases it is the whiting that bites its tail:

Increased risk of accidents:

The poor quality of wakefulness associated with not sleeping well has an impact on a greater risk of work and traffic accidents, many of them with this as their main cause, says the doctor.

Growth problems:

Growth hormone is produced or released in the early hours of the night, therefore, the quality of sleep in early stages of life such as childhood and adolescence is decisive for proper growth.

Obesity:

The mechanisms of insulin work are different in the early evening than in the morning. A tendency to obesity has been observed in shift or night workers who have a higher food intake at night. Obesity promotes sleep apnea and sleep fragmentation caused by apnea favors the risk of diabetes, which also leads to an increased risk of obesity.

Depression:

Just as sleep deprivation favors depression, depression favors sleep disturbances. In psychiatric pathologies, it is sometimes difficult to know which came first, lack of sleep or depression/anxiety.

Hyperthyroidism, anemia, and asthma:

Hyperthyroidism favors the appearance of insomnia; there are substances that disturb sleep such as certain asthma medications; Anemia, due to a lack of iron, can trigger restless legs syndrome, but it can also lead to insomnia or hypersomnia.