Sleep Deprivation and Mental Health
Hello everyone 
Todays post is about sleep deprivation and mental health. Sleep deprivation can have many bad side effects, some of them are:
Memory issues - Trouble with thinking and concentration
High blood pressure - Risk of heart disease
Higer risk of accidents because of reduced alertness and poor balance
Rrisk of diabetes and much more.
Below I like to go more into detail about some specific points.
Alzheimers disease
A lack of sleep will actually prevent your brain from being able to initially make new memories, so it's almost as without sleep the memory inbox of the brain shuts down and you can't commit new experiences to memory, meaning all new information is simply being discarded. 
Also a lack of sleep will lead to an increased development of a toxic protein in the brain that is called beta amyloid and that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. It is during deep sleep at night when a sewage system within the brain actually kicks into high gear and it starts to wash away this toxic protein beta amyloid. If you're not getting enough sleep each and every night more of that Alzheimer's related protein will build up and the more protein that builds up, the greater your risk of going on to develop dementia in later life.
Emotional swings
Experts have found that in sleep-deprived patients, the amygdala, a part of the brain that processes emotion, becomes "rewired" in a way that reduces our rational response to external events. These individuals have big emotional swings, going from upset to giddy in moments. Sleep deprivation can even create symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia.
Depression
Investigators have discovered that individuals with depression who improve their sleep experience a faster response from antidepressants.
Seven steps to improve your sleeping habits for better mental health 
1. Establish a regular sleep-wake cycle - try to sleep and wake at regular times consistently.
2. Try to ensure that you have a comfortable bed and bedroom - noise, light and temperature should be tailored to your preferences if possible.
3. Limit the use of stimulants - such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol near bed time.
4. Avoid drinking excessive liquids - especially in the evening to minimise chances of waking to empty your bladder.
5. Avoid going to bed until you are drowsy and actually ready to sleep - Most people who suffer from insomnia spend more time in bed lying awake rather than actually asleep.
6. Regular daily exercise - but not too late in the evening as this could be stimulating.
7. Avoid electronic devices late at night - such as computers, mobiles, tablets and so on; the bright light can be overly stimulating and keep you awake.
How does lack of sleep affect you?
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I find for myself when I lack sleep. Happens a lot. My depression/mood swings are worse. I hallucinate more. I don't like being around other humans, I don't want to eat and I just feel sick. I can't remember anything or process anything.
@Goldcherry2113
I hear you, sleep deprivation affects me badly too. What you mentioned sounds very rough though, do you have set times when to go to bed and when to wake up?
@amiablePeace77 I try to but I have insomnia so it makes it harder.
@Goldcherry2113
It must be very difficult for yout to get your daily routine done when not being able to get enough sleep. Sorry to hear you're suffering from insomnia.
For me I feel really guilty after waking up because I always tell myself to sleep early the next day and things just didn't work out. I should have been stricter with myself.
@herealways27
It's frustrating to realize not having done what you might have promised yourself. Setting up routines and getting them into your system takes a while but is very rewarding and it surely helps to enjoy an early morning without any rushing.
@amiablePeace77
Lack of sleep makes me super drowsy and irritable throughout the whole day. I also notice that it makes my acne worse and I get a bunch of canker sores as well.
By the way, thanks a lot for the info Peace! It was quite educating. 😁
@LexIris
LexIris, sorry to hear that the stress caused by sleep deprivation affects even your acne and canker sores. Our nervous system can cause a lot of problems when it is not balanced, and sleep is one of the important things.
I have to be so tired I basically pass out to sleep then I sleepwalk. I have no regular sleep pattern.
@Fireskye13
Fireskye13, wow, that must be really really tired, sorry to hear. May I ask whether you suffer from a sleeping disorder?
@amiablePeace77
I have a brain injury and I sleepwalk. My brain doesn't want to shut down.
@Fireskye13
I am very sorry to hear about your brain injury and sleep walking. I hope things will get better for you 
@amiablePeace77
Ps. Thx for the link.
@Fireskye13
You're very welcome.
When I have lack of sleep, I'm less empathic to those around me.
@ResilientSerenity
Lack of sleep impacts how we feel too, it can numb us to some extent. Hope you will get enough sleep in future.
@amiablePeace77 thank you for this discussion AND reminder of how sleep is also important to us. I have a set bed time. Ask the teenies 8pm I start getting tired. By 9pm I am asleep. Normally I sleep well, aside from my work injury bothering me. I wake 5am but lately I go back to bed for a bit longer. I feel relaxed energized and focused for my day.
I wish I could share with others on a strict bed time routine. But I do know they all are trying
@RumpleSteeleSkin
I hope your work injury will get better soon Rumple.
As you I am a great fan of a strict bedtime routine but everyone has to figure out what's the best for them as you said.
@amiablePeace77 well said there
Sleep is like that mythological unicorn. Most nights I get a glimpse of it for two or three hours. It affects everything. Focus - concentration - makes the depression and anxiety worse. It's harder for me to keep control of thoughts and emotions. It's harder to stay present and makes it harder to remember things throughout the day and I end up usually doing something stupid
@mytwistedsoul
It must be very rough for you to get through your daily routines and to deal with challenges when your mind cant work because of tiredness. I know some people use melatonin tablets to help them with sleep, hope there will be something for you too to help in future
@mytwistedsoul
It must be very rough for you to get through your daily routines and to deal with challenges when your mind cant work because of tiredness. I know some people use melatonin tablets to help them with sleep, hope there will be something for you too to help in future
@amiablePeace77
How does lack of sleep affect you?
Lack of sleep affects my productivity. Which is ironic because I'm usually only depriving myself of sleep in order to meet school deadlines. I stay up to be productive but I become less productive the longer I stay awake.
@SecretlyMe
School deadlines are a lot of pressure, hope things will improve when you finished with them. It works for some people to rather go to bed earlier and wake up earlier in the morning, but everyone has to find a own routine which suits them best.
Thanks to a couple of physical disorders that cause extreme fatigue, I have no trouble falling asleep. However if I happen to wake up at night then my racing thoughts will keep me up for hours.
It makes me feel so badly because my kids are early risers, and losing sleep causes me to be so irritable. When I'm too tired our mornings are so much more difficult.
@considerateCactus2454
I can only imagine how hard it is for you to deal with everything and trying to stay calm and supportive to your kids when youre exhausted. I hope you will find some help soon.
@amiablePeace77
How does lack of sleep affect you?: If I do not get sleep, I am more irritable, can't concentrate and if I'm in class, I fall asleep and miss out on crucial information
@azuladragon34
It must be terrible to wake up and realize how much time has passed, how much information you missed.I hope you will get enough sleep in future to get through in your classes.
