Sleep deprivation

Sufficient sleep is vital for the body to function properly; sleep deprivation (not getting a consistent or adequate amount of sleep) can affect the body in many negative ways, and can become very dangerous if it continues unchecked. Lack of sleep can cause the symptoms of many other sleep disorders, as well as other internal and external problems. These can include episodes of sleepwalking, sleep-related hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. It is important to note that sleep deprivation can also exacerbate conditions like insomnia, as being tired may make people feel more stressed and anxious, and therefore incapable of sleep.

According to health technology company Philips, which conducted a survey of thirteen thousand people representing thirteen countries, in 2021 only 55 percent of adults felt satisfied with their sleep. Sleep problems typically manifest themselves in forms of sleep deprivation and resulting insomnia. This cycle of sleep deprivation and insomnia can take a toll on a person’s mood, and can lessen one’s energy, productivity, and ability to manage stress. Ignoring chronic sleep deprivation can also lead to weight gain and cognitive impairment, and can cause serious problems with general health and wellness.

Background

To understand how sleep deprivation affects someone’s body, it is necessary to understand the two different types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM or NREM sleep. NREM sleep, or deep sleep, is when heart rate and body temperature drop and the body repairs itself. Dreaming typically occurs during REM sleep. Both types of sleep occur normally in three to five cycles per night when people are getting an appropriate and restful amount of sleep.

The ability to function and be productive while awake depends not only on getting enough total sleep, but enough of both REM and NREM sleep. Getting restful sleep also depends on whether one is sleeping in accordance with their body’s circadian rhythm, or biological clock. Following the body’s circadian rhythm helps regulate the cells, tissues, and organs in the body, and how well they function.

If these procedures for sleep are not followed, or sleep is initiated at the wrong times, one will feel tired during the day, and will not feel refreshed or alert when one wakes up. This is what sleep deprivation is, and it can cause problems with everyday actives such as school, work, driving, socializing, and even sleeping itself through insomnia. Sleep deprivation makes it difficult to judge, react, and focus in situations, and will often lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, and anxiety.

The symptoms and effects of sleep deprivation can differ between children and adults. Children are more susceptible to the effects of sleep deprivation, as it can lead to attention and activity problems, and will likely hamper their performance in school.

Overview

Sleep deprivation is considered a common health problem worldwide. In fact, people of all age groups and demographics have reported not getting enough sleep. According to the Philips 2021 survey, adults around the world were getting an average of 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.7 hours on weekend nights. Sleep deprivation has been linked to many chronic health problems. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, kidney failure, stroke, coronary heart disease and heart attack, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, cancer, and depression. Short sleepers are also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol to excess, and be physically inactive.

Sleep deprivation can cause an increased risk of injury in all age groups. This can include conditions like driver sleepiness, which is considered comparably dangerous to drunk driving and is responsible for thousands of car crashes resulting in injury and death each year.

Sleep deprivation can also have prolonged adverse effects on the brain and on one’s cognitive function. The brain needs to work much harder to accomplish simple tasks when sleep deprived, and it will automatically compensate to speed up its cognitive function. This can cause permanent damage to the temporal lobe, which is the region of the brain responsible for language processing.

It has also been linked to serious mental diseases, such as psychosis and bipolar disorder. A study performed at Harvard Medical School and the University of California at Berkeley titled "The Human Emotional Brain without Sleep—A Prefrontal Amygdala Disconnect," further made the connection between psychosis and sleep deprivation. Using MRI scans of brains under the effects of sleep deprivation, the study found that the brain is incapable of making rational and reasonable responses to emotional events or circumstances under such circumstances.

Aside from the mental conditions that sleep deprivation can bring on, it can also cause a host of physical problems. These problems include weight gain or weight loss, headaches, blurred vision, hernias, fainting, weakened immune system, and many others. In fact, sleep deprivation has often been equated to the cognitive loss of being drunk. Losing two hours of sleep impairs performance at a rate that equals 0.05 blood alcohol level; the legal limit for driving for the majority of states in the United States as well as in the United Kingdom and Canada remained at 0.08 blood alcohol level.

Bibliography

"Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, 18 June 2024, www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep. Accessed 22 July 2024.

Killgore, W. D. "Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Cognition." National Center for Biotechnology Information, US National Library of Medicine, 2010, doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-53702-7.00007-5. Accessed 19 Sept. 2016.

Miller, Sara G. "The Spooky Effects of Sleep Deprivation." LiveScience, 27 Oct. 2015, www.livescience.com/52592-spooky-effects-sleep-deprivation.html. Accessed 19 Sept. 2016.

Seeking Solutions: How COVID-19 Changed Sleep around the World. Philips, 2021, www.philips.com/c-dam/b2c/master/experience/smartsleep/world-sleep-day/2021/philips-world-sleep-day-2021-report.pdf. Accessed 22 July 2024.

Yoo, S. S., et. al. "The Human Emotional Brain without Sleep—a Prefrontal Amygdala Disconnect." Current Biology, vol. 17, no. 20, 2007, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.08.007. Accessed 22 July 2024.