“I stayed up studying all night and only slept for 3 hours,” is a phrase I hear more often than is probably healthy. Whether the reason for staying up was homework, test-prep, or doomscrolling, the amount of proper sleep obtained always remains absurdly low. For years, children have been taught that they need 10-12 hours of sleep from ages 6-13 and 8-10 hours as a teenager. However, the pressures of high school and the allure of social media often steals time away from sleeping.
People seem to function just fine on six, five, or even three hours of sleep, so is sleep really that important? The answer is irrefutable yes. When the body sleeps, the brain processes information, builds and strengthens neural connections, and regulates emotions. Sleep deprivation for long periods of time can increase risk for health problems such as heart and liver disease, and diabetes. Even for short periods of time, sleep deprivation has a multitude of negative consequences: difficulty concentrating, headaches, weak immune systems, mood swings, feelings of constant exhaustion, etc. These symptoms can then lead to lower academic and athletic performances over time.
There are 5 stages of sleep deprivation, ranging from 24 to 72plus hours without sleep. As each stage progresses, symptoms become more and more severe. Eventually, the effects of sleep deprivation can become so severe that it leads to serious and sometimes permanent mental and physical health problems.
Stages of Sleep Deprivation:
- 24 hours without sleep:
Symptoms: feeling drowsy and irritable, impaired decision-making, and physical fatigue
- 36 hours without sleep:
Symptoms: deteriorating balance and coordination, impaired brain function (simple tasks seem hard), increased mood swings
- 48 hours without sleep:
Symptoms: memory, decision making, and concentration are all severely impaired; sleep deprivation, headaches and microsleeps (involuntary brief periods of sleep)
- 72 hours without sleep:
Symptoms: major cognitive lapses, memory issues, hallucinations, psychosis (reality becomes distorted)
- Beyond 72 hours without sleep:
Symptoms: mental and physical health problems, weakened immune system
*If this occurs, please seek immediate medical attention!