The Impact Of 3 Days Without Sleep

Sleep is vital for our physical and emotional well-being, and sleep deprivation can have serious short- and long-term health effects. After just 24 hours without sleep, people can experience similar impairments to those caused by alcohol intoxication. As the hours without sleep accumulate, the effects of sleep deprivation become increasingly severe, and can include hallucinations, anxiety, and impaired cognitive functioning. So, what happens if someone doesn't sleep for 3 days?

Impaired coordination and memory

After 24 hours of sleep deprivation, individuals will experience impaired coordination and memory. This is due to the increase of stress hormones, namely cortisol and adrenaline, which are produced to compensate for fatigue and help the body stay activated.

The consequences of sleep deprivation at 24 hours are comparable to the cognitive impairment of someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.1%. This means that individuals will experience a reduced reaction time, slurred speech, and slowed thinking.

The increase in stress hormones also affects the body's ability to regulate blood pressure. During a typical healthy night of sleep, blood pressure drops by around 10 to 20%. However, when sleep is chronically interrupted or not happening at all, blood pressure may remain elevated, which can be a risk factor for hypertension.

Sleep deprivation also affects the immune system. In a study of 16 volunteers who went without sleep for 72 hours, researchers found that NK cells, or natural killer cells, decreased by 37% after 48 hours of wakefulness. NK cells play a crucial role in fighting off viruses and tumour formation.

The effects of sleep deprivation on balance control have been studied extensively. Balance control is essential in daily life activities, and balance problems are often related to falls. Acute and chronic sleep deprivation negatively affect balance control, with a stronger negative effect when visual information is removed (eyes closed) compared to when proprioceptive feedback is reduced (soft surface).

The cumulative effects of sleep deprivation cannot be studied without considering the circadian rhythm effect. The circadian rhythm influences balance, and it is important to control this parameter to compare balance performance. The worst performance in posture control usually occurs during the biological nighttime.

Chronic sleep deprivation can occur in different ways, such as a reduction in absolute sleep time or sleep fragmentation due to brief arousals. It is important to monitor sleep and circadian rhythm for several days before conducting balance control experiments to observe the routine changes caused by social obligations throughout the week.

Overall, sleep deprivation has significant negative impacts on coordination and memory, and these effects worsen as the duration of sleep deprivation increases.

Hallucinations

Sleep deprivation can have a serious impact on your mental and physical health. After 24 hours without sleep, you can expect to feel tired, exhausted, and "off". Your risk of errors and accidents in everyday tasks will increase, and your cognitive function and perception of reality will be impaired.

After 36 hours without sleep, you will have an overwhelming urge to sleep. You may experience increased appetite, extreme fatigue, and microsleeps. Microsleeps are brief periods of light sleep that can last up to 30 seconds, during which your brain is in a sleep-like state.

After 48 hours without sleep, it will be even harder to stay awake, and you are likely to experience more microsleeps. Your perception may become distorted, and you may feel increased irritability and temporal disorientation.

After 72 hours without sleep, your urge to sleep will strengthen and may become uncontrollable. Your hallucinations might become more complex. You may also experience more frequent and longer microsleeps, severe cognitive impairment, and difficulty with tasks such as multitasking, remembering details, and paying attention. Your emotions may also be affected, and you may experience anxiety, paranoia, and mood swings.

Increased risk of health conditions

Sleep is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. It is as important as diet and exercise in maintaining good health. Not getting enough sleep can have severe consequences on your health.

After 72 hours (three days) of sleep deprivation, your body will be under immense stress, and your ability to regulate your emotions will be severely compromised. You will likely experience irritability, anxiety, and depression, along with executive functioning and thinking difficulties. Your perception of reality may also be distorted, and you may start hallucinating.

Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to long-term cognitive impairment and increase the risk of dementia. Lack of sleep affects your concentration, alertness, memory, and decision-making abilities. It can also cause slowed thinking and impaired vision, hearing, and hand-eye coordination.

Poor Balance and Coordination

Sleep deprivation can impact your physical coordination and increase your risk of accidents. This is especially dangerous if you are driving or operating heavy machinery.

Weakened Immune System

Not getting enough sleep can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses and infections. Research has shown that Natural Killer (NK) cells, which play a crucial role in fighting viruses and tumor formation, decrease significantly after 48 hours of sleep deprivation.

Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Type 2 Diabetes

Sleep deprivation can disrupt the body's hormone balance, leading to increased cortisol levels and impaired glucose processing. This, in turn, can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Overweight and Obesity

Chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to weight gain and obesity. This is partly due to the body's hormone imbalance, which can lead to increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods.

High Blood Pressure, Cardiac Events, and Stroke

Going without sleep for extended periods can negatively impact your cardiovascular health. Sleep deprivation increases inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, which are risk factors for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. It can also lead to irregular blood pressure patterns and increased heart rate.

Depression and Other Mood Disorders

Chronic sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on your mental health, increasing the risk of depression and other mood disorders. Sleep-deprived individuals may experience mood swings, anxiety, and irritability.

Emotional and mental health changes

After 72 hours without sleep, an individual will experience a range of emotional and mental health changes, including:

• Severe sleep deprivation: At this stage, the urge to sleep will be extremely intense and difficult to control.
• Disordered thinking: The ability to think clearly and make decisions will be severely impaired, and thought processes will be disordered.
• Hallucinations: The mind is likely to be experiencing hallucinations, and the individual may see or hear things that aren't there.
• Delusions: The individual may also experience delusions, where they struggle to interpret what is actually happening around them.
• Paranoia: This is also a common experience at this stage, with individuals reporting feelings of paranoia.
• Extreme emotions: The individual will be in a fragile emotional state, with heightened emotions, including irritability, anxiety, and depression.
• Cognitive deficits: There will be significant deficits in concentration, motivation, perception, and other higher mental processes.
• Communication difficulties: The ability to communicate with others will be impaired.
• Increased heart rate: The body will be under stress, and this will manifest as an increased heart rate.
• Reduced positive emotions: Sleep deprivation will result in lower positive emotions and a more negative mood.

Poor performance at work or school

After 72 hours without sleep, you will experience severe symptoms that will impact your performance at work or school.

Your concentration, motivation, perception, and other higher mental processes will be significantly impaired. You will also experience an increased urge to sleep, which may become uncontrollable. Your microsleeps will increase in length and frequency, and you may experience hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. Your ability to regulate your emotions and accurately perceive the world around you will be severely compromised. You will likely feel irritable, anxious, and depressed, and struggle with executive functioning and thinking.

In addition, your physical health will be negatively impacted. You will have high levels of inflammatory markers in your bloodstream, which can eventually lead to cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Your body will continue to pump cortisol into your bloodstream, raising your heart rate and blood pressure to keep you alert, and the continued stress can increase feelings of anxiety and mood swings.

Your cognitive performance will be severely impaired, and you will feel sluggish, with delayed reaction times, foggy memory, and an inability to concentrate, learn new information, and process social cues.

As a result of these symptoms, your performance at work or school will be significantly impacted. You will struggle to complete tasks, make decisions, or communicate effectively. Your ability to meet deadlines or perform complex tasks will be compromised, and you may be at risk of accidents or injuries due to your impaired coordination and judgment.

It is important to prioritize sleep and seek help if you are struggling to get enough sleep, as chronic sleep deprivation can have serious consequences for your health and well-being.

Frequently asked questions