Affects of long term sleep deprivation?

Question

Years ago, I read of experiments where mice or other experimental animals were keep up for many days (more than 5, I think) and died because of it. I have also read of experiments were human subjects were kept up for 3 or 4 days and began to suffer serious halucinations.

Can anyone confirm either of these?

Answer 1

hallucinations can actually come on for some people within a shorter period of time.

its very individual.

but yes, hallucinations can occur as well as headaches, your motor skills can get all mixed up, severe delusions and paranoia as well as things like eyesight, perception and speech can be effected.

the stress of these things happening on your mind and your body can ultimately result in death

crazy stuff huh.

Answer 2

I can't confirm the effects from these two events, but I do know that sleep deprivation can cause serious problems:

Mental Functioning

Without adequate rest, the brain's ability to function quickly deteriorates. The brain works harder to counteract sleep deprivation effects, but operates less effectively: concentration levels drop, and memory becomes impaired. Speech becomes slurred and fragmented, and mental reaction time slows.

The brain's ability to problem solve is greatly impaired: decision-making abilities are compromised, and the brain falls into rigid thought patterns that make it difficult to generate new problem-solving ideas. Insufficient rest can also cause people to have hallucinations.

Sleep Deprivation Effects and ADHD

Sleeping problems exacerbate ADHD symptoms in many children. Indeed, symptoms such as irritability, impulse control and concentration difficulties are shared by both ADHD and insomnia. A sudden worsening of ADHD symptoms may indicate a problem with sleeping patterns.





Mental Health: Stress, Anxiety, and Mood

Without sufficient rest, emotional mood deteriorates. People become irritable and short-tempered, both with themselves and others. Loss of emotional control is possible, leading to emotional outbursts and even violence.

Stress and anxiety levels both rise as a result of sleepiness, which often begins a vicious circle. Insomnia and fatigue leads to stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are leading causes of insomnia. Left unchecked, this cycle can result in full-blown anxiety disorders and depression.

Physical Responses

Insomnia makes it difficult to focus the eyes properly, or to perform fine motor functions as effectively as when well rested. Muscle strength and endurance drops, in part due to lowered glucose metabolism. Appetite tends to increase with insufficient rest, leading to weight gain for some people.

The Immune System and Sleeping Habits

Adequate rest and a properly functioning immune system are closely related. Sleep deprivation appears to compromise the immune system by altering the blood levels of specialized immune cells and important proteins called cytokines, resulting in a greater than normal chance of infections.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

If you're getting sufficient rest, but are sleepy and tired on a regular basis, you may be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Excessive tiredness and sore muscles that cannot be directly attributed to a specific condition characterize chronic fatigue syndrome. It has been suggested that CFS may be the result of a viral infection, but a definite cause has yet to be found.

Answer 3

I'm not a doctor or anything, not an expert in this. but I do know some info, not enough rest can impair your ability to think, and to handle stress. It can cause uncoordination. (or even memory loss, but I'm not sure) i think it can even affect your level of concentration. You need a fair amout of sleep to keep your immune system healthy. For your condition, I don't know if it's serious or not, but maybe you can go see a doctor. I hope my answer helped, maybe even just a little bit. I hope things go well for you, and take care.

Answer 4

Yes it is true that people die from sleep deprivation.
It does funny things to you before that. My friend was on a Terretorial army weekend and they were all sleep deprived for 3 days and were having hallucinations.

Answer 5

This is completely true. I have read the same things and if you deprive youself of sleep just for a few days in a row, you will die!

Answer 6

Yes, after 32 hours I started to stammer, studder, leg twitching, foggy thinking
no hallucinations luckily

Answer 7

Delusions. Alterted psyche. Cartiac arrest.

Answer 8

Yes, I read that some people addict to online games died because of exhaustion & forgot to feed themselves.

Answer 9

If you are deprived of sleep too long it will result in death.

Answer 10

It's a great interrogation tool !