All hot girls have stomach problems. While this is undoubtedly a fact, we do not know the source of this troublesome health phenomena that many girls experience. Many factors contribute to poor gut health, but did you know that poor sleep is one of them? Too many studying all-nighters could take a toll on several aspects of your daily life.
Stomach/Gut Issues:
Frequent disturbances of sleep, such as waking up several times during the night or not getting sufficient hours, will disturb your digestive system. Sneaky little hormones named Leptin and Ghrelin are responsible for hunger cues, which can be severely interrupted by an unbalanced sleep schedule. Say for example, you cram for an exam without taking breaks for snacks, and when you finally finish your studying, you eat a big amount to make up for the meals you skipped and head straight to bed. Your digestive system will struggle to process this intake of food at such an unusual time so close before REM Cycle. The morning after your late night, your stomach will likely be still breaking down that food at a slow rate, creating an uncomfy bellyache. Repeat this sleepless process enough times, and your gut health will be disrupted.
Hormonal Imbalances
Shocker: Sleep deprivation can make you cranky! Notice when you are acting too snappy when talking with your friends or listening to a professor lecture, it typically correlates to how much rest you had the night prior. When your brain receives an insufficient balance of sleep vs. waking hours, it becomes harder for your nervous system to regulate your emotions. The amygdala, located in the brain, increases irritability as the lack of blood flow from lack of sleep causes a spike in aggressive feelings. In general, it is a known rule-of-thumb to go to bed at a regular time to prevent the storm-cloud of angriness.
Weak Immune System
Forgoing proper sleep to attend a party may be doing more harm than good. Important antibodies that protect your immune system from infections are mostly built while you sleep. With deprivation or a wacky nap routine, you are more vulnerable to contracting illnesses because you do not have the built up army of protective immune substances. It is not a coincidence that you seem to fall ill when you are battling the biggest courseload of work. Pace yourself when your studies get fairly intense, or your body will choose the inopportune moment to shut down on you.
Poor Skincare
Yes, abnormal sleep patterns can ruin your perfectly crafted skincare routine! The pituitary gland emits a growth hormone during deep hours of sleep that promote collagen to give you that healthy, youthful elastic skin. When skipping out on those crucial restful times, cortisol levels raise and creates puffiness, blotchy skin, and greater likelihood of acne breakouts. Dehydrated dry skin, dark purple circles, sped up aging process… the scary list goes on and on. So while you may be dedicated to your 12-step nighttime routine, if you do not receive enough necessary sleep, your skin will take an impact regardless.