The human body is often cited to be a complex machine, with several subsections that are working in conjunction with one another. As such, it can be seen that there is some truth to the traditional Chinese medicine concept of treating overall balance, rather than individual symptoms. Since all the systems are inevitably interconnected, then what affects one aspect of a person’s physical or mental health can also have an effect other aspects. While everyone and their grandmother knows that disrupting one’s sleep patterns or a lack of sleep can have an effect on the body, new research is revealing that there may be more side effects than conventional knowledge is aware of.
Most people are already aware of the more immediate effects of sleep problems, such as insomnia. There is a noticeable drop in alertness and cognitive ability, which can sometimes appear to be cumulative if the lack of sleep is prolonged. Sensory information can sometimes be processed slower than normal. There are also some studies that point to partial temporary memory loss as an effect. The ability to control body temperature is also disrupted, with some people losing the ability to...