6 Surprising Effects of Insomnia

Being tired is one thing. Being completely exhausted from constant insomnia – that, my friends, is a whole new level.

I feel very strongly that a good night's rest is the most underrated "medicine" in our lifetime. We find our world and society demanding we be awake more, convincing us that we need less and less sleep. I do think, though, that we need better quality sleep and more of it.

The long-term effects of sleep deprivation are telling, and when it is a constant in your life, it starts to affect all sorts of things that one would not normally link to insomnia. There are 6 that stand out for me as surprising and important to be aware of.

Lack of concentration

A lack of good and regular sleep can affect your alertness and make it really hard to focus on your task at hand. This can prove especially challenging for work and school. Concentration is key, and a lack thereof can lead to silly mistakes. Tasks that should have taken you an hour can easily double up in time spent.

Mood swings

If there is one sure-fire way to know if I am at a high level of exhaustion from a lack of sleep, it is my mood. I find that I am quick to get agitated and I am easily annoyed. My moods swing round as if they are on a roller coaster – high ups and low lows, unpredictable twists and turns that prove very challenging for those around me. On the weekend, it will easily call for an attitude-adjustment nap.

Weakened immune system

Bad quality and lack of sleep have been attributed to a weakened immune system.¹

This means it is possible for you to be susceptible to picking up germs – possibly even have a longer recovery period. Our bodies do all sorts of amazing things while we are sleeping.

Memory loss

This is something that has become very prevalent to me – brain fog and forgetfulness. I often forget important things and, even more, the smaller, less important things: milk and bread on the way home, your mother-in-law's birthday. Although a calendar seems simple enough, remembering to check it to make sure you remember all the things can be hard. I have taken to setting reminders on my phone as and when I think of them. Famous last words are "I will remember that."

Problems in the bedroom

This is one of the last places that we want to have any kind of problems. Far from simply being too tired, it could become so much more than, "I am too tired." Erectile dysfunction for men and climaxing problems for women could fall part of this too.

Poor balance

I often used to think that it was just me always losing my balance and falling over flat surfaces. This is something that needs to be checked out at your doctor to be sure it is nothing more serious. Feeling off-balance makes you more susceptible to falls.

Do any of these sound familiar? Have you experienced any other surprising effects of insomnia? Share with our community in the comments below.