Well my bed isn't getting any action! :o)

What happens when sleep is deprived

Why do we sleep? One way to study the need for sleep is to look at the effects of total sleep deprivation. It has been known for a long time that sleep has a detrimental effect; something used to good effect by the military for generations. The ancient Romans, for example, used tormentum vigilae (waking torture) to extract information from their enemies.

The effects of sleep deprivation over time are:

Night 1. Most people are capable of going without sleep for a night. The experience is tolerable if uncomfortable.

Night 2. The urge to sleep is much stronger, particularly between 3-5 a.m., when the body temperature is at its lowest.

Night 3. Tasks requiring sustained attention and mental calculations become seriously impaired. This is particularly the case if the task is repetitious and boring. Again, the early hours are the most crucial to needing sleep.

Night 4. From this night onwards, periods of micro-sleep occur. People stop what they are doing and stare into space for up to three seconds. The end of micro-sleep is accompanied by a return to full awareness. Confusion, irritability, misperception and the 'hat phenomenon' occur. In this, a tightening around the head is felt as though a hat too small for the head is being worn.

Night 5. On top of the effects previously mentioned, delusions (false beliefs) may be experienced. Intellectual and problem-solving abilities are largely unimpaired.

Night 6. Symptoms of depersonalization occur and a clear sense of identity is lost. This is called sleep deprivation psychosis.
Adapted from Huber-Weidman, 1976.

The effects of sleep deprivation are more psychological than physical. Reflexes areimpaired but heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and body temperature show very little change. The main physical consequences seem to be hand tremors, droopy eyelids, problems in focusing the eyes and a heightened sensitivity to pain.

Interestingly, we seem able to catch up with sleep in a much shorter time than was lost through deprivation. A person who loses three nights of sleep might only need a slighted extended sleep in order to feel fully refreshed.

Updated: July 26, 2004

 

 

Nebraska Rural Health and Safety Coalition

HOW MUCH SLEEP IS ENOUGH?

Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. People who are well rested feel alert and do not have the urge to nap.

WHAT CAUSES SLEEP DEPRIVATION?

Not allowing enough time for sleep

Anything that causes insomnia or poor quality sleep

Sleep disorders

Excessive worry, depression

Repeated awakenings from noise

Working at night, travel across time zones

Medical illness causing pain, difficulty breathing, etc.

WHAT SLEEP DISORDERS CAUSE EXCESSIVE DAYTIME SLEEPINESS?

Obstructive sleep apnea: A very common disorder where there is obstruction of the nose and/or throat by enlarged tonsils, a deviated nasal septum etc. which results in pauses in breathing during sleep. Symptoms include snoring, morning headache and daytime fatigue. Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to heart failure and is a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

Nocturnal myoclonus: Jerking of legs during sleep which causes brief awakenings. This causes insomnia and daytime sleepiness.

Narcolepsy: A relatively rare sleep disorder of dream sleep. The main symptom is uncontrollable sleepiness during the day.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION?

Motor vehicle accidents and work accidents

Decreased productivity

If this becomes a chronic problem, sleep deprivation can cause difficulties with social relationships because of irritability; as well as some significant medical problems.

WHEN ARE ACCIDENTS RELATED TO SLEEP DEPRIVATION MOST LIKELY TO HAPPEN?

In the early to mid afternoon and in the very early morning hours. These are the times when everyone is least alert.

WHAT OTHER PROBLEMS CAUSE EXCESSIVE DAYTIME SLEEPINESS?

Medical illnesses: heart disease, breathing disorders and a variety of other problems can cause fatigue and sleepiness.

Mental illness: depression is an important cause of insomnia troubles during the day.

HOW CAN THESE ACCIDENTS BE AVOIDED?

Getting enough sleep at night or adding naps in the afternoon when needed can help prevent serious accidents due to sleepiness. If a person has signs of a sleep disorder or has their sleep disrupted by symptoms of a medical illness or depression, they should see their physician.

 

LONDON (CNN) -- Night owls take note: new research offers yet another reason to get more sleep. In a study published this week in the British journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, researchers in Australia and New Zealand report that sleep deprivation can have some of the same hazardous effects as being drunk.

Getting less than 6 hours a night can affect coordination, reaction time and judgment, they said, posing "a very serious risk."

Drivers are especially vulnerable, the researchers warned. They found that people who drive after being awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent. That's the legal limit for drunk driving in most western European countries, though most U.S. states set their blood alcohol limits at .1 percent and a few at .08 percent.

The study said 16 to 60 percent of road accidents involve sleep deprivation. The researchers said countries with drunk driving laws should consider similar restrictions against sleep-deprived driving.

The British Medical Association warned that there are other problems associated with sleep deprivation beyond impaired motor skills. People who get too little sleep may have higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and may take unnecessary risks.

And the dangers aren't limited to drivers. People who work long shifts or night shifts, such as medical personnel or other emergency workers, may also have troubles. Reuters contributed to this report.