pay off your sleep debt -an unmet public health problem

Increased demands in your life have forced you to Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation which cuts across a variety of medical disciplines such as neurology, pulmonology, pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, psychology, otolaryngology, and nursing, as well as other medical practices with an interest in the management of sleep pathology.  Van Cauter has spent 25 years doing research on the hormones that are affected by sleep. She says sleep deprivation activates a small part of the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that also is involved in appetite regulation.  Sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full.

A little sleep deprivation can cheer up patients with unipolar depression.The problem is after they go to sleep the next night, they wake up even more depressed. The link between sleep deprivation and depression isn't exactly new, but a study presented at the recent Biomedicine conference sheds light on why there's an association.

Recent studies suggest that sleep deprivation may increase the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).

It is known that the prevalence of sleep disorders in children with autism is much higher than in the general population. So, one could ask whether the sleep disturbances seen are solely a consequence of the autism, or whether they not only coexist, but also play a role in strengthening some of autistic features. If that is the case, perhaps we should be more aggressive in treating sleep disorders in this population.

There are also important emotional symptoms of sleep deprivation. Emotional distress can take a brutal toll on our personal relationships and safety.Chronic sleep deprivation (going for extended periods of time with less sleep) can cause a variety of physical and psychological problems with more serious and significant long-term complications

A lot of times when work and other circumstances will result in foregoing an ideal slumber but knowing that sleep deprivation can be dangerous will help you  know where to draw the line.