How can people die from not sleeping?

Question

is there a certain amount of time or something?

Answer 1

if you haven't gotten any sleep then you are most likely to get into an accident since you tend to be less active and unaware of things around you .......

Answer 2

The brain goes through various cycles of brain wave activity whilst sleeping. During certain stages of these brain waves, the brain releases hormones and other chemicals that allow the bod to grow, repair injuries and damages and fight infections. Have you ever noticed that when you have a cold or flu, you feel much better after a good sleep? This is because the body heals itself whilst you sleep. Without sleep, the body is severely limited in its ability to maintain and heal itself. If deprived of sleep the body becomes weaker and is more prone to illness.
It is not the lack of sleep as such that kills, but the body inability to rejuvenate.
Some diseases, such as fibromyalgia which I have, prevent the brain from remaining in correct brain wave cycle for the correct length of time, resulting mostly in extreme fatigue and connective tissue pain and damage.
During sleep the brain also sorts and catulouges memories etc allowing you to think clearly.
ALSO...try this expiriment. Measure your exact height on waking up and again before you go to bed at night. During the day your spine compacts up to several centimeters. While you sleep the spine stretches out again!

Answer 3

As far as I know, nobody has every died from not sleeping.

From Wikipedia:
Lack of sleep may result in

* Aching muscles
* ADHD like symptoms
* Blurred vision
* Clinical depression
* Color blindness
* Daytime Naps
* Decreased mental activity
* Decreased concentration
* Decreased ability for the immune system to fight off sickness
* Dizziness
* Fainting
* General confusion
* Hallucinations
* Hand tremors
* Headache
* Hernia
* Hypertension/Hyperactivity
* Impatience
* Irritability
* Memory lapses / memory loss
* Nausea
* Nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)
* Psychosis
* Pale skin tone (looking pasty)
* Slowed reaction time
* Slurred speech
* Weight gain
* Yawning

From Google:

One of the possible side effects of a continued lack of sleep is death. Usually this is the result of the fact that the immune system is weakened without sleep. The number of white blood cells within the body decreases, as does the activity of the remaining white blood cells. The body also decreases the amount of growth hormone produced . The ability of the body to metabolize sugar declines, turning sugar into fat. One study stated that people who sleep less than four hours per night are three times more likely to die within the next six years . Although the longest a human has remained awake was eleven days rats that are continually deprived of sleep die within two to five weeks, generally due to their severely weakened immune system.

-- http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neur...b3/Ledoux.html




Death has not been proven in Humans, but it is possible.


Wikipedia again
Sleep is good

Restorative theories of sleep describe sleep as a dynamic time of healing and growth for organisms. For example, during stages 3 and 4, or slow-wave sleep, growth hormone levels increase, and changes in immune function occur.

One process commonly believed to be highly dependent on sleep is memory. REM sleep appears to help with the consolidation of spatial and procedural memory, while slow-wave sleep helps with the consolidation of declarative memories.

Non-REM sleep may be an anabolic state marked by physiological processes of growth and rejuvenation of the organism's immune, nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems (but see above). Sleep might restore neurons and increase production of brain proteins and certain hormones.

Answer 4

Human sleeps one third part of his life. Sleep is important, a normal person should sleep 6 hours at least otherwise lethargy shows.

Fatal Familial Insomnia, a rare decease that could possibly cause death. It is a brain decease that cause insomnia in begining stages and worse over time and possibly death with in 6 months.

Answer 5

Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, me personally eight hours, but a friend of mine survives OK on four. The older you get the less sleep you need so how come I still need eight hours.lol But seriously we need sleep to repair our bodies and rejuvenate, lack of sleep can be likened to a feeling of drunkenness, light headed and disorientated. Ever heard of 'Chinese torture', sorry no disrespect to the Chinese, but one of the most used tortures was a tap dripping on someones forehead, giving them no chance to sleep, and it was the worst torture going.

Answer 6

i heard you go crazy if you dont sleep and i suppose insanity may lead to death