The Fatal Effects Of Sleep Deprivation: Days Without Sleep

Sleep is vital for our physical and mental well-being. While it is unclear exactly how long humans can survive without sleep, the longest recorded time without sleep is approximately 264 hours, or just over 11 consecutive days. After just one night of poor sleep, you may start to feel the effects of sleep deprivation, and after 72 hours without sleep, most people experience an overwhelming urge to sleep. Sleep deprivation can have serious short-term and long-term health consequences, including an increased risk of accidents, injuries, and health problems that can be fatal.

Sleep deprivation and psychosis

Sleep deprivation can have serious effects on the human body and mind. After 24 hours without sleep, individuals may experience impaired judgement and decision-making, diminished memory and attention, impaired vision, hearing and hand-eye coordination, and tremors and muscle tension. After 36 hours, the effects become more severe, with higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood, and after 48 hours, most people will experience microsleep, a protective reflex where the brain forces the body to fall asleep for a brief moment.

After 72 hours without sleep, individuals may experience an overwhelming urge to sleep, and will struggle with executive functions such as multitasking, remembering details, and paying attention. They may also experience paranoia, anxiety, and hallucinations.

Indeed, sleep deprivation can lead to psychosis. A 2018 review of 21 articles on the correlation between time spent without sleep and symptoms of psychosis found that people typically start to experience symptoms within 24 to 48 hours of not sleeping. These symptoms include distorted perception, anxiety, irritability, depersonalisation, and a loss of a sense of orientation.

The review also found that symptoms of psychosis progress rapidly as sleep loss increases, with more complex symptoms, such as disorganised thinking, appearing after 48 hours, and persistent complex hallucinations and elaborated delusions appearing after 72 hours.

The first and most common symptoms of sleep deprivation psychosis include disturbances in how an individual perceives reality. They may experience:

• Objects or spaces appearing larger or smaller than they are
• Things appearing to move when they are not
• Objects changing colours or losing their sharp edges
• Objects appearing to be something different than they are
• Seeing things or people that are not there
• Feeling like something or someone is touching them when they are not
• Feeling like their body or parts of their body are changing in size
• Having a sensation of movement while not moving
• Auditory disturbances, such as hearing sounds or voices that are not there, or not being able to identify where sounds are coming from

Psychosis is not usually permanent, and can be resolved by getting more sleep. However, the longer an individual has gone without sleep, the more rest they will need to recover.

Sleep deprivation and risk of accidents

Sleep deprivation is a state caused by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep, including voluntary or involuntary sleeplessness and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Sleepiness, a difficulty remaining awake even while carrying out activities, can be a result of sleep deprivation. Sleepiness can lead to decreased reaction time, impaired judgment and decision-making, diminished memory and attention, impaired vision, hearing and hand-eye coordination, tremors, and muscle tension. Sleep deprivation can also cause an increase in stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

Sleep deprivation is a major risk factor for road traffic accidents, which often occur when a driver experiences drowsiness at the wheel. Sleep deprivation can also cause accidents due to sleep abnormalities, alcohol consumption, or medication. About 1.3 million deaths occur each year as a result of road traffic accidents globally, causing a 3% loss of the gross domestic product of most countries. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that about 100,000 road accidents are caused by drowsiness every year worldwide, leading to over 1500 deaths and 70,000 injuries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over a third of Americans don't get enough sleep at night. Long-term, chronic sleep deprivation can significantly impact health and increase the risk of health conditions such as cognitive impairment, dementia, poor balance and coordination, a weakened immune system, impaired glucose tolerance and Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiac events, and stroke.

Sleep deprivation can also lead to an increased risk of accidents at work. Shift work is a major risk factor for the dangerous effects of sleep deprivation, as shift workers often sleep fewer hours than they need, and the sleep they do get is often not aligned with their natural circadian rhythm. Some major work-associated disasters, such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, have been partly blamed on sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation can also lead to an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes. Studies have found that sleeping less than seven hours a night increases the risk of driving accidents. Driving at night is also more likely to result in accidents for sleep-deprived individuals.

Overall, sleep deprivation is a major risk factor for accidents, including road traffic accidents and accidents at work. The risk of these accidents increases when individuals experience sleepiness and drowsiness due to a lack of sleep.

Sleep deprivation and physical health

Sleep deprivation can have serious consequences for physical health, and can even lead to death in rare cases.

After 24 hours without sleep, individuals will experience symptoms such as trouble concentrating, impaired judgment and decision-making, diminished memory and attention, impaired vision, hearing and hand-eye coordination, and tremors and muscle tension.

After 36 hours, the physical impact becomes more severe, with higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. Sleep deprivation of this duration can cause hormone imbalances and a slowed metabolism, as well as intensified side effects from the previous 24 hours, including fluctuations in mood, attention, body temperature, and appetite.

After 48 hours, most people will experience microsleep, a protective reflex where the brain forces the body to fall asleep for a brief moment. This can last up to 30 seconds, and the individual may be unaware that it happened. Microsleep can be extremely dangerous if it occurs while driving or operating heavy machinery.

After 72 hours without sleep, the ability to regulate emotions and accurately perceive the world is severely compromised. Individuals may experience irritability, anxiety, depression, and paranoia. They may also start to hallucinate and have illusions, seeing or hearing things that are not there, or struggling to interpret what is there.

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to long-term physical health issues, including cognitive impairment and dementia, poor balance and coordination, a weakened immune system, impaired glucose tolerance and Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiac events, and stroke. It can also increase the risk of accidents and injuries, with sleep-deprived individuals more likely to be involved in car accidents, and sleep deprivation having been a factor in several major work-related disasters.

Sleep deprivation has been linked to a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It can also increase the likelihood of catching a cold, and can cause an increase in cravings for sweet, salty, and savory foods due to its effect on the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin.

Overall, sleep deprivation can have significant and wide-ranging impacts on physical health, and it is important to prioritize getting adequate sleep to maintain overall health and well-being.

Sleep deprivation and mental health

Sleep is critical for both physical and mental health. It is during sleep that the body repairs itself and maintains healthy functioning. Sleep deprivation can have a range of negative effects on mental health, from impaired cognitive function to increased risk of chronic mental health disorders.

After just one night of poor sleep, you may experience trouble concentrating and slower physical and mental reaction times. After 24 hours without sleep, you may experience impaired judgment and decision-making, diminished memory and attention, impaired vision, hearing and hand-eye coordination, tremors, and muscle tension.

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to more severe issues. It can cause an increase in stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can affect your ability to regulate your emotions and cope with stress. Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. It can also exacerbate existing psychiatric symptoms and increase the risk of suicide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on sleep patterns, with higher rates of insomnia and sleep disturbances linked to higher levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression.

Additionally, sleep deprivation can affect your ability to perform daily tasks and increase your risk of accidents and injuries. It is estimated that driver sleepiness is a factor in about 100,000 car accidents each year in the United States, resulting in about 1,500 deaths.

Overall, sleep deprivation can have serious consequences for mental health and well-being, and it is important to prioritize getting sufficient, quality sleep to maintain optimal mental health.

Sleep deprivation and fatal familial insomnia

Sleep deprivation can have serious health consequences and even lead to death in rare cases. The longest recorded period a human has gone without sleep is 264 hours, or just over 11 days. After just 24 hours without sleep, individuals may experience impaired decision-making, vision and hearing impairments, decreased hand-eye coordination, increased muscle tension, and an elevated risk of accidents. These effects become more severe with each passing hour.

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is an extremely rare neurodegenerative prion disease that causes sleep difficulties, memory loss, and involuntary muscle twitching. It is a genetic condition that affects the brain and central nervous system, specifically targeting the thalamus—the part of the brain that controls body functions like sleep. The condition is degenerative, with symptoms worsening over time and ultimately leading to death. The average life expectancy for those diagnosed with FFI is poor, ranging from a few months to a couple of years.

The disease progresses through four stages:

• Worsening insomnia, resulting in panic attacks, paranoia, and phobias. This stage lasts about four months.
• Hallucinations and panic attacks become more noticeable and continue for about five months.
• Complete inability to sleep, followed by rapid weight loss. This stage lasts about three months.
• Dementia, during which the person becomes unresponsive or mute over six months, after which death follows.

While there is currently no cure for FFI, treatment options such as medication and psychosocial therapy can temporarily slow the progression of symptoms and provide palliative care. Some patients have also found success in inducing sleep through methods like vitamin supplementation, anesthesia, sensory deprivation, and electroconvulsive therapy.

In summary, sleep deprivation can have serious and potentially fatal consequences, and rare disorders like fatal familial insomnia further highlight the critical importance of sleep for our physical and mental well-being.

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