How Bad Could a Little Sleep Deprivation Be?

Photo by Marcus Aurelius: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-leaning-on-her-table-4064174/

I’ve written previously about the importance of getting good sleep, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. Obviously, if you aren’t getting adequate sleep, you won’t be at your best in terms of mental focus and physical energy.

But research indicates it goes much further than that. Even mild sleep deprivation over a relatively short period of time, actually changes your neurological and hormonal function in ways that make it more difficult to maintain healthy weight and body fat percentage, and to build muscle and improve physical conditioning.

How much sleep deprivation over how long of a period of time is problematic?

Well, if we’re talking about total sleep deprivation (no sleep), the effects of just one night are pretty shocking! One study found that missing just one night of sleep reduced muscle protein synthesis (muscle repair and regeneration) by 18%, decreased testosterone by 24%, and increased cortisol by 21%. Cortisol is a hormone that, in excess, leads to weight gain, tissue breakdown, and increased anxiety and depression.

One night of complete sleep deprivation definitely has a big impact!

But what about just reduced sleep – maybe a few hours less than normal?

That’s not so bad for a single night, but after a few consecutive nights, one study showed that, on average, one’s resting metabolic rate decreases by 2 to 3 percent. That’s not a big deal short-term, but it adds up the longer the sleep deprivation goes, and will definitely make it harder to lose or maintain your weight.

After one week, another weight-gaining effect kicks in. On average, people with mild sleep deprivation over the course of a week consume an additional 500 calories per day than those getting normal sleep. This is not due to a hormonal shift at this point, but appears to be due to an actual change in neurological function in which seeing or thinking about food has a higher stimulatory effect on parts of the brain involved in appetite.

Obviously, you wouldn’t want to intentionally deprive yourself of sleep, but sometimes things happen in life that result in decreased sleep. One thing that can at least minimize the tendency to eat more is to shift to a higher protein intake and reduce carbs, particularly early in the day. As soon as possible, try to get back to a more normal sleep schedule.

Continuing to 3 weeks of continuous mild sleep deprivation, hormonal changes that effect weight and body fat start to show up. There’s decreased insulin sensitivity (which results in more carbs being converted to fat), increased cortisol, and decreased leptin (a hormone that signals satiety and reduces hunger). So, you get hungrier and more of the food you eat winds up as body fat.

At one month, one study of people on calorie restriction for weight loss found that they had less fat burning. When the body is under stress, it tends to burn more carbs and hold on to its fat stores.

At 60 days of continuous low-level sleep deprivation, a decrease in HDL molecule size is seen. This has various health effects, but it is closely associated with increased abdominal fat deposition.

I think it’s pretty clear by now that sleep deprivation is something that should be avoided if at all possible. But circumstances are sometimes outside of our control, so while the first priority is to get back to normal sleep, there are a few things that can reduce the negative impact of sleep deprivation.

First, as already mentioned, is to eat a relatively high protein, low carb diet, particularly early in the day. For example, have eggs or a protein shake rather than something like cereal or pastry for breakfast.

The other recommendation is to get some physical activity – although not probably not heavy exertion, as this could further stress the body. Even if you feel up to doing an intense workout, realize that your body is not functioning optimally and your performance will probably reflect this. Generally, it’s better to go with lower-intensity, longer-duration activities like walking while your body is being stressed by the lack of sleep.

The specific amount of sleep that one needs is an individual thing. As a general rule, most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep, and it’s important to have a fairly consistent bed time (within an hour or so). Some people can get by with a little less, and some need a little more, and you kind of have to find what works for you. Sleep deprivation starts to be a problem when you’re consistently getting an hour or more less than what your usual sleep needs are.

I wish you pleasant dreams!

Until next time…

George Best, D.C.