Most of us find that there is not enough time to accomplish all we need to do. Emails, long commutes, deadlines, household chores, social gatherings, and family responsibilities can eat up a significant part of our waking hours.

To meet deadlines or get an extra leisure time, for example, many people set aside sleeping to do these activities.

We are so plagued by a 24/7 society where we are overworked, caffeine-fueled, and stressed.

These developments happened not without taking a toll on our body and in getting a quality life.

Sleep deprivation endangers our physical and mental health, decreases our level of productivity, and causes us to make risky decisions, among other things.

For you to be well aware of the adverse effects of having a lack of sleep, read this article.

1. Lack of Sleep Causes Weight Gain

Various studies have shown that sleep-deprived people are more likely to gain weight.

It is because sleep deprivation slows down metabolism and messes with the hormones that regulate our appetite (ghrelin) and signal our brain that we are full (leptin), which cause us to feel hungry and makes us overeat in return.

Aside from this fact, there’s also the so-called emotional eating. It is because we are likely to take in more food in response to emotions we feel when we are sleep-deprived and exhausted.

2. Sleep Loss Increases the Risk of Cardiac Arrest

Many factors contribute to an increased risk of heart attacks, and lack of sleep is one of them.

In various experiments where participants are purposely get deprived of sleep, subjects showed an increase of inflammation associated with the potential development of cardiovascular diseases.

Thus, sufficient rest is so vital for you to avoid heart attacks.

3. Sleep Deprivation Lowers Sex Drive

If you have a sexual appetite, make sure not to impair it by getting fewer hours of sleep.

Men and women who are sleep-deprived experience a decrease in levels of libido and tend to have less interest in love-making due to sleepiness and exhaustion.

Men who suffer from sleep apnea are also vulnerable to abnormally low testosterone levels and low sex drive.

According to a study, nearly half of the men subjects who have sleep apnea secreted lower than the average levels of testosterone at night.

4. Sleep Deprivation Causes Bad Mood

Sleep deprivation inevitably causes stress and exhaustion, which then turns your mood into the negative.

In a study which spans two years, researchers found that 78 medical participants, who tracked their sleep and recorded their emotional responses to different situational stimuli, had increased and intense negative emotions.

Lack of sleep affects your mood even more than it does your cognitive and motor function.

And what does it mean? It means that you are susceptible to bad moods when you are sleepy.

5. Sleep-Deprived People Make Poor Decisions

Our brain is an essential organ because we use it every time we make decisions.

Hence, when you lack sleep and feels tired, the functions of the brain go at a half-mast, meaning you will be likely to make poor decisions.

According to a study that correlates sleep deprivation and economic preferences, sleep-deprived business people are likely to go for risky decisions, instead of trying to minimize loss.

Hence, before making any big purchases that are high-risk, it is a good idea to get an ample sleep.

6. Lack of Sleep Impairs Productivity

For sure, you have experienced that the more tired you are from lack of sleep, the more difficult it is to concentrate and focus. This adverse impact of lack of sleep takes a significant toll on your work.

In a study, researchers found that sleep deprivation makes you inefficient when it comes to doing tasks that require attention. Thus, if you want to be more focused and productive, make sure to get some rest from comfortable beds.