Colin Snow
Sleep is essential for human functioning, and getting enough quality sleep is critical for maintaining good health. While missing a night or two of sleep is unlikely to be fatal, chronic sleep deprivation can have severe consequences and even lead to death in rare cases.
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the fourth stage of sleep, characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity. It is associated with dreaming, memory consolidation, emotional processing, and brain development.
So, will you die without REM sleep? Research suggests that insufficient REM sleep is linked to a higher risk of death, particularly from cardiovascular disease. However, it is important to note that the studies show an association rather than a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to various health issues, including slower reaction times, cognitive impairment, hallucinations, and an increased risk of accidents and injuries. Additionally, it can contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
In summary, while it is challenging to definitively state that the lack of REM sleep alone will cause death, insufficient REM sleep appears to be a contributing factor to increased mortality risk, especially when coupled with other health issues.
What You'll Learn
REM sleep loss and the risk of death
REM stands for rapid eye movement and is the fourth and final stage of the sleep cycle. It is characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity. It is also the stage of sleep in which most dreaming occurs.
Most adults need about two hours of REM sleep each night. However, the amount of REM sleep we get can vary depending on our biological and energetic needs.
Multiple studies have shown that not getting enough REM sleep is linked to a higher risk of death. Specifically, a loss of REM sleep is associated with early death from any cause. One study found that for every 5% reduction in REM sleep, death rates increased by 13% to 17%.
While the mechanism linking poor REM sleep to a higher death rate is unclear, it is thought that the disruption to the body's natural sleep-wake cycle causes an increase in the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. This can lead to hormonal imbalances, which can affect mood, appetite, stress levels, and body temperature.
In addition, not getting enough REM sleep can cause:
- Memory problems
- Emotional instability
- Cognitive impairment
- Slow reaction time
- Higher risk of physical illness
- Worsening of mental health symptoms
Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to death, but it is very rare. Extremely uncommon disorders such as fatal familial insomnia or sporadic fatal insomnia can cause a person to die from a lack of sleep as it is physically impossible for them to get enough sleep.
In most cases, sleep deprivation increases the risk of accidents and injuries that can be life-threatening. For example, getting less than seven hours of sleep over a 24-hour period increases the risk of being in a car accident. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to an increased risk of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, which can contribute to an early death.
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Sleep deprivation and accidents
Sleep deprivation can have serious consequences, and accidents are a common result of insufficient sleep. This is a significant issue, with one-third of US adults not getting enough sleep each night. Sleep deprivation can lead to industrial disasters, occupational and medical errors, and a reduced quality of life and productivity.
One of the most prominent risks associated with sleep deprivation is the increased likelihood of car accidents. Studies have found that insufficient sleep duration is strongly correlated with motor vehicle crashes. Drivers who have slept for fewer than seven hours in the past 24 hours are more likely to be involved in car crashes, with the risk increasing as the amount of sleep decreases. Those who have slept for fewer than four hours are at the highest risk. Sleep-deprived drivers may experience decreased vigilance, impaired judgement, and slower reaction times, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
In addition to the number of hours slept, the quality of sleep also plays a role in accident risk. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, which cause interruptions in sleep, can lead to excessive sleepiness and increase the risk of accidents. Severe sleep apnea has been associated with a significantly higher crash risk, even among those who do not report feeling excessively sleepy.
The impact of sleep deprivation on accident risk is not limited to driving. It can also affect occupational safety and increase the likelihood of industrial accidents. Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function, leading to lapses in attention and concentration, which can have dangerous consequences in various work settings.
Overall, sleep deprivation is a significant factor contributing to accidents, and it is important for individuals to prioritize getting sufficient, high-quality sleep to mitigate these risks.
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Sleep and physical health
Sleep is vital for both mental and physical health. It helps you feel rested each day, but it also allows your brain and body to recover. A good night's sleep consists of 4 to 5 sleep cycles, including deep sleep and REM sleep. While you sleep, your brain and body are hard at work, with internal organs and processes active throughout the night. Sleep services all aspects of the body, from molecular functions to energy balance, intellectual function, alertness, and mood.
A lack of sleep can impair your ability to reason, problem-solve, and pay attention to detail. It can also put you at a higher risk for traffic accidents and influence your mood, making it difficult to interact with others. Sleep deprivation over time can even lead to depression.
Sleep is not just essential for the brain; it affects almost every tissue in the body. It influences growth and stress hormones, the immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health. Research shows that a lack of sleep increases the risk for obesity, heart disease, and infections. Sleep deprivation can also produce diabetic-like conditions in otherwise healthy people.
Getting a full night of quality sleep is important to attain the maximum restorative benefits of sleep. A consistent bedtime routine can promote healthy sleep. This includes going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and engaging in calming activities before bed.
Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on physical health. When a person is sleep-deprived, they face a higher risk of issues such as weight gain, injury from accidents, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, depression, and reduced immunity.
Restoring adequate sleep can reverse the symptoms of sleep deprivation, improving mood, energy, and overall well-being. It can also reduce the risk of accidents and improve performance at work and in social situations.
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Sleep and mental health
The Impact of Sleep on Mental Health
Brain activity fluctuates during sleep, increasing and decreasing during different sleep stages that make up the sleep cycle. Each stage plays a role in brain health, allowing activity in different parts of the brain to ramp up or down, enabling better thinking, learning, and memory.
Sufficient sleep, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, is crucial for the brain's processing of emotional information. During sleep, the brain evaluates and remembers thoughts and memories, and a lack of sleep is particularly harmful to the consolidation of positive emotional content. This can influence mood and emotional reactivity and is linked to mental health disorders and their severity, including the risk of suicidal ideation.
Research has shown that spending less time in REM sleep is associated with a higher overall risk of death from any cause, except for cancer. For every 5% loss of REM sleep, there is a 13% to 17% increase in death rates.
The Impact of Mental Health on Sleep
Living with a mental health problem can affect sleep quality. For example, anxiety can cause racing thoughts and worries that keep you awake, and you may experience panic attacks while trying to sleep. Depression can cause insomnia or make you sleep more, including staying in bed longer or sleeping more often. Trauma can lead to flashbacks, nightmares, or night terrors that disturb your sleep, and you may feel unsafe or uncomfortable in bed or in the dark. Paranoia and psychosis may also make it difficult to sleep, as you may hear or see things that are frightening or disturbing.
Improving Sleep and Mental Health
Given the close relationship between sleep and mental health, improving sleep can positively impact mental health and be a component of treating psychiatric disorders. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing specific behaviors and thought processes, has been shown to help chronic insomnia patients fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Additionally, adopting good sleep hygiene practices, such as having a set bedtime and maintaining a steady sleep schedule, avoiding substances like alcohol and caffeine in the evening, and getting regular exercise, can improve sleep quality and mental well-being.
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Sleep disorders
Sleep is essential for both physical and mental health, and sleep disorders can have serious consequences. While you may not die from missing a night or two of quality sleep, the effects of sleep deprivation can be severe and may increase your risk of dying over time. Sleep deprivation can also lead to accidents or injuries that can be life-threatening.
Chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to an early death by increasing the risk of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression. It can also cause cognitive impairment, including problems with reasoning and speaking, sluggishness or low energy, and trouble falling or staying asleep.
There are several sleep disorders that are associated with abnormal REM sleep, including REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), narcolepsy, and nightmare disorder. People with RBD don't always experience muscle paralysis during REM sleep, so they may act out their dreams, shouting, punching, kicking, or jerking in their sleep. Narcolepsy is characterised by sudden loss of muscle tone when a person is awake, while nightmare disorder involves regular intense and distressing nightmares.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of American adults have a sleep disorder that can seriously affect their lives. Sleep deprivation has been linked to car accidents, industrial disasters, occupational and medical errors, reduced quality of life, and decreased productivity. It is considered a public health epidemic.
While it is rare, it is possible to die from a lack of sleep. Extremely uncommon disorders such as fatal familial insomnia or sporadic fatal insomnia can cause a person to die from a lack of sleep by making it physically impossible for them to get enough sleep.
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Frequently asked questions
While it is rare, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to death. A lack of REM sleep is associated with a higher risk of death from any cause, as well as from cardiovascular disease and other diseases.
Most adults need about two hours of REM sleep each night.
Not getting enough REM sleep can cause difficulty concentrating during the day, excessive daytime sleepiness, and forgetfulness or poor memory. Over time, it can lead to health conditions like diabetes, depression, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
