If you’ve ever spent a night tossing and turning, you already know how you’ll feel the next day — tired, cranky, and out of sorts. But missing out on the recommended 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye nightly does more than make you...

Read on to learn the causes of sleep deprivation and exactly how it affects specific body functions and systems.

Your central nervous system is the main information highway of your body. Sleep is necessary to keep it functioning properly, but chronic insomnia can disrupt how your body usually sends and processes information.

During sleep...

You may also find it more difficult to concentrate or learn new things. The signals your body sends may also be delayed, decreasing your coordination and increasing your risk for accidents.

You may feel more impatient or prone to

You may also end up experiencing microsleep during the day. During these episodes, you’ll fall asleep for a few to several seconds without realizing it.

Microsleep is out of your control and can be extremely dangerous if you’re dri...

While you sleep, your immune system produces protective, infection-fighting substances like antibodies and cytokines. It uses these substances to combat foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

Certain cytokines also ...

Long-term sleep deprivation also increases your risk for chronic conditions, such as diabetes mellitus and heart disease.

The relationship between sleep and the respiratory system goes both ways. A nighttime breathing disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can interrupt your sleep and lower sleep quality.

As you wake up throug...

Sleep deprivation is another risk factor for becoming overweight and obese. Sleep affects the levels of two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, which control feelings of hunger and fullness.

Leptin tells your brain that you’ve had enou...

A lack of sleep can also make you feel too tired to exercise . Over time, reduced physical activity can make you gain weight because you’re not burning enough calories and not building muscle mass.

Sleep deprivation also causes your body to release less insulin after you eat. Insulin helps ...

Sleep affects processes that keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, including those that affect your blood sugar, blood pressure , and inflammation levels. It also plays a vital r...

Hormone production is dependent on your sleep. For testosterone production, you need at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep, which is about the time of your first R.E.M. episode. Waking up throughout the night could affect hormone production.

This interruption can also affect

Best way: ensure you get adequate sleep, recommended is 7-9 hours for adults aged 18 to 64.

Other ways:

• limit/ avoid daytime naps
• refrain from caffeine past noon/ at least a few hours prior to bed...

1. insomnia
2. circadian rhythm disorders
3. obstructive sleep apnea
4. narcolepsy
5. restless leg syndrome

If you continue to have problems sleeping at night and are fighting daytime fatigue, talk to your doctor. They can test for underlying health conditions that might be getting in the way of your sleep schedule.