Do you wake up exhausted? The 4 health risks you need to know – including one silent killer | The Sun

WAKING up tired after getting a solid nights sleep can be frustrating.

But to make matters worse being tired can lead to several to physical and mental health problem, according to a top personal trainer.

In a Instagram post, Rachael Attard, from Australia, revealed the health impacts of not getting enough sleep from weight gain to low libido. 

A third of adults are sleep deprived, which can be stressful for the body, the nutritionist explained.

"High stress causes high cortisol (and eventually low cortisol if the stress goes on long enough)," she wrote.

Not getting enough sleep can also cause other hormone imbalances which can lead to several health issues.

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1. Weight gain

In times of stress, your body produces high amounts of cortisol, which causes your body to store fat, the expert said.

And when we're sleep deprived, the body produces more ghrelin and less leptin, she added.

The hormone ghrelin sends signals to the brain, telling us when it's time to eat. While the hormone leptin tells the brain that you're full.

"As a result, we might eat more than we should because we will feel hungrier."

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3. Depression and anxiety

The imbalance of hormones can also lead to mental health problems like anxiety and depression, she said.

Studies have found a drop in hormones can lead to a reduced level of serotonin levels – sometimes called the happy hormone .

This can result in increased levels of sadness, anxiety, and irritability.

4. Low libido

While your body is stressed and producing excessive levels of cortisol it produces less sex hormone, which can lead to a lower libido

Rachael said: "Your body will always prioritise cortisol over sex and thyroid hormones, so these hormones will also suffer."

5. Thyroid conditions

The imbalance of hormones, including thyroid hormones, can lead to condition called hypothyroidism, Rachael said.

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, just in front of the windpipe.

One of its main functions is to produce hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism.

An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is where your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones.

This can cause many of the body's functions to slow down, and change the way it processes fat.

Because of these changes, thyroid problems can lead to high cholesterol and artery clogging.

According to the NHS, stress may exacerbate an underlying thyroid condition – for example, say hypothyroidism runs in your family.

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Under stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol.

Too much cortisol can interfere with thyroid hormone production and can stimulate the thyroid to work harder to create sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone.

How to get to sleep in two minutes or less

The military sleep method is a process of falling asleep that was originally derived from US military practices (hence the name).

Sound interesting? This is how you do it.

1. Relax the face muscles one at a time, starting with the jaw, then tongue, eyebrows and the muscles around the eyes.
2. Then drop your shoulders and take your arms down to your side one at a time.
3. Move down the body with your mind and allow your chest to relax.
4. Follow this with the legs, starting at the thighs and working your way down.
5. Once your whole body is relaxed, clear your mind by focusing on a relaxing vision for ten seconds. This could be anything, from an idyllic beach to a special place for you.
6. Then, repeat “don’t think” in your head for ten seconds.
7. After this, you should drift off to sleep.

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