Archive · 11 Dec 2025
Nutritionist Explains After Effects of Sleep Deprivation
A nutritionist named Pooja Makhija explained on Instagram what happens to your body when you don't get enough sleep.
She said that if you sleep for only 3-5 hours, your body goes into a stress mode to cope with the exhaustion.
Your brain might take very short naps without you realizing it.
Your body produces more cortisol, which can lead to belly fat and cravings.
Your digestion slows down, and you might lose less fat and more muscle.
You might also feel more emotional, and your immune system gets weaker.
Pooja advises everyone to prioritize rest to avoid these negative effects.
Nutritionist Pooja Makhija explains the after-effects of sleep deprivation on Instagram.
Sleeping less than 6 hours triggers a stress-override reflex in the body.
Micro-sleeps of 3–15 seconds can occur involuntarily with eyes open.
Cortisol levels rise by 37% after one short night, affecting belly fat and cravings.
Digestive slowdown and increased gut permeability occur within 48 hours of short sleep.
- Who
- Pooja Makhija, a nutritionist
- What
- The after effects of sleep deprivation
- When
- Not specified
- Where
- Why
- To inform people about the negative impacts of inadequate sleep
- Nutritionist
- Pooja Makhija
- Platform
- Micro-Sleeps Duration
- 3–15 seconds
- Cortisol Increase
- 37% after one short night
- Gastric Motility Reduction
- 40%
- Fat Loss Reduction
- 55% with sleep restriction
- Emotional Brain Reactivity Increase
- 60%
- Immunity Reduction
- 50% reduction in natural killer (NK) cell activity