THE ESSENTIAL
- The amount of sleep a person needs varies from person to person.
- Health Insurance estimates that it would take between six and ten hours.
The world record for sleep deprivation dates back to 1964. Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old American student, stayed awake for 264 hours, or 11 days in a row, under medical supervision. A feat never equaled since.
“Sleep plays a vital role in our physical, cognitive and mental well-being, explains Michelle Drerup, expert in behavioral sleep medicine. There are restorative processes going on in sleep that we need to stay healthy“. But what happens in our body when we don’t sleep?
The consequences of sleep deprivation
If you stay awake for 24 hours, that equates to a blood alcohol level of 0.1%, which is above the legal limit in the United States. The consequences on the body are as follows: reduced reaction time, impaired speech, thought, vision, hearing, impaired judgment and decision-making, reduced attention and memory , irritability, tremors and muscle tension. According to Michelle Drerup, not sleeping for 24 hours increases “us stress hormones (…). It’s your body’s attempt to compensate for the fatigue you feel“. Once the 24 hours have passed, all the effects of lack of sleep increase with each additional hour without sleep.
From 36 hours, the body is completely upset. “We begin to see a greater physical impact on our health, continues Michelle Drerup. With this level of sleep deprivation, there are likely higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood.”. There is also a slowdown in metabolism and disturbances in mood, attention, appetite and an impact on body temperature.
After 48 hours without sleep, it is possible to have micro-sleeps which are protective mechanisms of the brain. The latter forces the body to fall asleep for a few moments, a maximum of thirty seconds, without the person realizing it. She usually “wakes up” feeling disoriented. This situation is particularly dangerous if it occurs when an individual is driving or is in a position where he might injure himself.
Hallucinations and illusions from 72 hours without sleep
Scientists don’t have many studies on sleep deprivation beyond 72 hours. In effect, “it is ethically difficult to deprive people of so much sleep”, emphasizes Michelle Drerup. Nevertheless, according to current data, the ability to regulate one’s emotions is greatly impaired. “You will be irritable, anxious, depressed and have trouble with executive functioning and thinking, develops Michelle Drerup. You might also start hallucinating: seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.“. People deprived of sleep also have illusions, that is, difficulty in interpreting reality.
In everyday life, it is possible to be deprived of sleep, in case of insomnia. This can be due to stress, anxiety, depression, lifestyle (consumption of exciting drinks, overly stimulating activities in the evening, screens, etc.) but also to certain illnesses such as nocturnal asthma. According to health insurancechronic insomnia in adults aged 18 to 75 affected 13.9% of adults in 2017, including 16.9% for women and 9.1% for men.
According to Michelle Drerup, chronic sleep deprivation can have a serious impact on daily life and increase the risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, imbalance, type 2 diabetes, overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, depression, etc. But whether it’s regular or occasional insomnia, from the moment fatigue bothers you in your daily activities, you should talk to your doctor regarding it.