Why We Sleep and Dream

Weight Gain and the Lack of Sleep

This is not what some of us really want to hear. In our waking hours, we fight to lose weight or maintain it, but if we are sleep deprived, we can gain weight. The saying, "if you snooze, you lose" for once is a good thing because you will not lose weight if you do not snooze.

It seems the lack of sleep is related to the increase in appetite, hunger, and obesity. Studies have targeted the connection between sleep and what regulates the appetite, peptides. Hunger is stimulated by ghrelin and when satisfied, leptin signals the brain and the appetite is suppressed.

Sleep loss seems to stimulate appetite, as well as cravings for high-carbohydrates and high-fat foods. With all the diets that are available, a program for sleep should be included as part of the diet’s regimen. (Peri, 2019)

Getting the right amount of sleep can reverse the processes, but the sleep has to be nightly and consistently. (Salzberger, 2016)

Lack of Sleep can Impair Your Immune System

Every time you catch a cold or worse, the flu, everyone is well-meaning about chicken soup, plenty of liquids, Vitamin C, and on that list is "get some rest."

That's what you should do, get some sleep because your immune system is affected by sleep deprivation. If you don't sleep enough, you will get sick. As you already know, the lack of sleep is connected to problems with our mental and physical well-being. You can include your immune system on that list. (Peri, 2019)

The immune system defends us from colds, the flu, and other maladies, but when it's malfunctioning, it's not doing the job and the result can be a lot more sick days than you want.

The immune system is a complex one that is made up of numerous types of proteins and cells. Their job is to keep colds and flu away. When we are deprived of sleep, our T-cells decline and the inflammatory cytokines increase making us prime for the risk of colds or the flu. Sleep deprivation stifles the immune system’s ability to function. (Peri, 2019)

The lack of sleep is also linked to how we are able to fight our illness once it’s set into our system. When we are able to sleep, the fever responds better. However, if we’re not getting any sleep, our body is not fighting the war on infection as it should.

Respiratory System and Sleep

A nighttime breathing order called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) diminishes the quality of sleep and interferes with your sleep. This disorder wakes you up through the night and causes sleep deprivation leaving you more susceptible to colds, flu, and could lead to chronic lung disease. (Pietrangelo, 2017)

Lack of Sleep Dumbs You Down

Lack of sleep hurts our ability to think and learn and hurts the cognitive processes. It impairs alertness, reasoning, concentration, attention, and problem-solving making it difficult to efficiently learn. If you are not getting enough sleep, you won't remember what was experienced and learned during the day.

The Skin Ages due to Lack of Sleep

Well, this is really bad news. If you don't like the way your skin has been looking lately and you're not getting the shut-eye that you should be getting, the lack of sleep is wreaking havoc on your looks.

Sleep deprivation is not pretty. The skin is sallow and the eyes are puffy after just a few nights of being deprived of restful sleep. Chronic sleep loss leads to dark circles, fine lines, and the skin lacks its usual luster. (Peri, 2019)

The hormone cortisol is released when you don’t get sufficient sleep. When cortisol secretes in excessive amounts, the skin’s collagen, which is the protein that keeps the elasticity and skin smooth, breaks down.

Sleep deprivation does not allow the body to release enough of the human growth hormone. When we’re young, it helps with our growth, and as we age, it aids in increasing muscle mass, the strengthening of our bones, and thickening of the skin. It is during our deep sleep that this hormone is released. It appears to be a part of the repair of normal tissue, mending and reinforcing the day’s wear and tear. (Peri, 2019)

The Endocrine System and Sleep
The Endocrine System’s Function

Chemicals and hormones produced in our body are produced and secreted by these glands that compose the Endocrine System. The substances and hormones that are released control the activity of organs and cells. The hormones control the body’s metabolism, growth that are the chemical and physical processes of the body, and sexual development and function. (Kemp, 2018)

Endocrine System and Lack of Sleep

What your hormones usually do is maintain and balance all the organs and give signals to the body so it knows what to do. When you have too little sleep, your hormones go off-kilter.

How Hormones Act When you Lack Sleep

Insulin is the key fat-storing hormone that is essential for your survival. When you have more insulin, more fat is stored. When you get the proper amount of sleep, insulin reacts to carbohydrates. When you lack sleep, you briefly become insulin-resistant. You produce more insulin, and the more insulin you store, the more fat is stored. This is what leads to weight gain. (Salzberger, 2016)

Ghrelin and Leptin These two hormones interact with your hunger and appetite. Simply put, ghrelin is the hormone that triggers our appetite and leptin is the hormone that is supposed to get us to stop.

If you lack sleep, more reduced levels of leptin will be overtaken by more production of ghrelin, so you’re hungry all day long. If you’re trying to lose weight or are on a diet and don’t get enough sleep, it will be almost impossible to lose the weight. The overproduction of ghrelin will cause your body to think it’s hungry, even if you’re full. (Salzberger, 2016)

Cortisol – This is the stress hormone that your body produces. If you’re really stressed, you need more energy to handle whatever you need to handle at the moment. Cortisol turns energy that’s stored to usable energy and helps you to be awake and alert. This is a good thing.

The bad thing is, lack of sleep increases the production of cortisol. Your body stores fat and burns muscle, which is not a good thing. You want to burn fat, not muscle. (Salzberger, 2016)

Human Growth Hormone – known as HGH is the hormone you want to remain slim, sexy, and young. The highest levels of HGH are produced when you are in deep sleep. HGH decreases the degree in which cells use carbohydrates and increases the rate they use fats.

If you get less sleep, deep sleep is less, and HGH levels aren’t that high. In fact, it reduces HGH, and the cells store fat instead of using the fats.

Without the proper amount of sleep, you will probably gain weight rather than lose it, even if you’re dieting. Your body will burn muscle, not fat.

Sleep happens in multiple stages. There are periods of light and deep sleep, dreamless periods, and intermittent periods of dreaming (REM) sleep. This cycle repeats itself a number of times over the course of the night and older people spend much of the time in the lighter sleep stage rather than in a deep sleep.

Average, healthy adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Sleep experiments have shown that in order to sidestep harmful effects on functioning in the daytime, the amount of sleep needed is approximately 8 hours and 10 minutes.

Young Adults 18-25 yrs – Seven to nine hours are recommended. Hours that may be appropriate are 6 hours. Less than 6 hours is not recommended

10-11 hours may be appropriate. More than 11 hours is not recommended

Newborns 0-3 months - Overall, 14-17 hours are recommended. Hours that may be appropriate are 11-13 hours. Less than 11 hours is not recommended.

Hours that may be appropriate are 18-19 hours. More than 19 hours is not recommended (National Sleep Foundation, 2019).

Infants4-11 months - Overall, 12-15 hours are recommended. Hours that may be appropriate are 10-11 hours. Less than 10 hours is not recommended.

Hours that may be appropriate are 16-18 hours. More than 18 hours is not recommended (National Sleep Foundation, 2019)

Toddlers 1-2 years – Overall 11-14 hours are recommended. Hours that may be appropriate are 9-10 hours. Less than 9 hours is not recommended.

Hours that may be appropriate are 15-16 hours. Sixteen hours and more are not suggested.

Preschoolers 3-5 yrs old – Overall 10-13 hours are recommended. Hours that may be appropriate are 9-10 hours. Less than 9 hours is not recommended.

14 hours may be appropriate. More than 14 hours is not recommended.

Children of School-age6-13 years – Overall 9-11 hours are recommended. Hours that may be appropriate are 7-8 hours. Less than 7 hours is not recommended.

12 hours may be appropriate. It is not recommended to sleep for twelve hours and more.

Teenagers 14-17 yrs – Eight to ten hours are recommended. Hours that may be appropriate are 7 hours. Less than 7 hours is not recommended.

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