Here`s what can happen to your body when you`re sleep deprived!

London: Sleep plays an important role in our health and well-being. One needs a healthy sleep for a sound mind and body. And chronic sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems

Here`s what can happen to your body when you don't get enough sleep:

Appearance can suffer

If you survived on just four hours` sleep for three nights then you might end up looking quite ill with bloodshot eyes and dark circles, a pale complexion and spots.

More prone to disease

Lack of sleep can make you more prone to serious health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, according to the NHS.

Put on weight

Study shows that people who sleep for less than seven hours a night tend to gain more weight and have a higher risk of becoming obese. This is believed to be because the sleep-deprived have lower levels of leptin, which is the chemical that makes you feel full, and increased levels of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin.

Can damage brain

Long-term sleep deprivation can damge our brain. It can also lead to depression and anxiety, according to the NHS - as well as bipolar disorder. Humans voluntary suppress unwanted memories as part of a totally healthy process. Not doing this can lead to psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Sleep is said to play a vital role in the process.

Low sex drive

Research shows those people who get less sleep have a lower sex drive, according to the NHS, so there`s an incentive for an early lights-out.

Memory is affected

Lack of sleep optimises the process where we collect and sort new memories, remembering the important and discarding the useless.

(With ANI inputs)