The Biggest Effects of Poor Sleep Quality On Your Life

Posted by Edward Grey on August 21st, 2021

Around one-third of adults don’t get adequate sleep, and at least 35% of adults sleep less than seven hours a night. Poor sleep quality affects one’s life and ability to perform their daily tasks with productivity. However, sleep aid tablets can help you in most cases.

Here are some of the significant effects of poor sleep quality on your life.

Impaired Brain Functioning & Memory

When you don’t sleep well, research shows that you’re more likely to exhibit poor levels of cognitive function during your waking hours. In other words, that lack of good-quality sleep may mean you’re more forgetful and less able to utilize your analytical skills (like if you were going for a job interview).

During the five hours of sleep that you\'re lucky to get each night, your brain continues to process and store memories from the day prior. While you sleep, your hippocampus (the region that contributes to cognitive functions like memory) forms memories from the day’s events. If you’re short on sleep, not only are you less efficient during your waking hours, but your brain will also have a tougher time storing information.

Impaired Decision Making & Emotional Mood Regulation

When you’re sleep-deprived, your ability to make good decisions is significantly impacted. This is because our emotional mood regulation is directly linked to our sleep. Research shows that you\'re more vulnerable to feelings of anger and frustration when you’re sleep-deprived. In addition to that, you will ultimately have trouble regulating your moods effectively in a way that you can continue work.

That emotional baggage is often referred to as ‘decisional regret’—or wishing that one hadn\'t made a certain decision so rashly.

Reduced Attention Span And Increased Distractibility

Like the ability to make good decisions, your attention span and focus are hindered when you have had too little sleep, and it may lead you to make mistakes you normally wouldn\'t make.

Research shows that adults need at least seven hours of sleep a night for optimal cognitive function. Without proper sleep, you may find it challenging to focus on a conversation with a co-worker for more than five minutes at a time or even experience trouble concentrating when reading an article that requires you to think and retain information.

Decreased Productivity And Reduced Job Performance

When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s not uncommon to feel like you\'re in a haze. You may struggle to pay attention to any task at work and often feel sluggish or drowsy during the day. If this becomes a consistent pattern, your work performance will be negatively impacted.

Research shows that it can take up to five days of good quality sleep for your brain to return to normal performance levels. In addition, you might feel sleepy and have trouble performing even more intense tasks.

Obsessive Thoughts And Unhealthy Self-Talk

When you’re sleep-deprived, it can be hard to think of anything other than the job that\'s taking up so much of your waking hours. Research shows that lack of sleep also causes an increase in thoughts relating to work and sleep.

It can be extremely difficult to separate your thoughts from work when you’re sleep-deprived—or even just low on energy. This leads to an increase in self-talk about work, whether positive or negative.

Greater Incidence of Impulsive Behavior

Whether it\'s logging onto social networking websites when you should be working or thinking about the next step in your career, sleep deprivation can lead to impulsive behavior. Research reveals that those who are sleep-deprived have a harder time processing information and making rational decisions.

Decreased Accuracy And Effectiveness During Social Interactions And Public Speaking Events

Those who have slept very little over a long period of time often find it challenging to keep up with social interactions and tasks like public speaking events or presentations. While you may be pleasant to be around during the day, you’re also more likely to make mistakes.

Research suggests that this may be because when you are sleep-deprived, the parts of your brain that contribute to self-reflection and decision making are not functioning properly.

More Irritability And Aggression

When you’ve been sleep-deprived for a long period of time, it can lead to an increase in irritability and aggression. You might feel like yelling at people or snapping at small annoyances, making for a heated work environment.

Increased Risk of Heart Disease

Research shows that those who are sleep-deprived have an increased risk of heart disease. While the exact reason for this relationship is not fully understood, scientists speculate that it may be due to elevated levels of stress hormones or increased inflammation in the body. Both factors have been shown to increase heart disease risk.

Depression And Poor Self-Image

If you’re sleep-deprived all the time, you’re more likely to feel depressed. Sleep is a crucial component in maintaining a healthy mood and self-image, so lack of sleep can often have an adverse effect on your mood as well as your self-image. You may begin to feel sad, anxious, or even hopeless when you’re sleep-deprived. This can create feelings of helplessness and despair, which can negatively impact your work environment.

If you’re experiencing poor sleep, then we can help you. At Healtha2z, we provide sleep aid tablets and sleeping aid for adults. We also have anxiety sleeplessness medicine if anxiety keeps you up all night.

Contact us to learn more about our healthcare products.