If someone sleeps for three hours a night for three months, what will happen to their body and mind?

Question

Will it "shut down"? If so, how exactly?

Will they be okay?

Answer 1

Well, you'll suffer from long term sleep deprivation. Your mind and body can't recharge properly. Your nervous systems starts to behave like you're drunk, i.e. give you lower response times, tunnel vision, risky behaviour and such.
You can get very edgy and aggressive, and it can lead to depression (also, a lot of people who suffer from clinical depression sleep little).
Sleep disturbance for more than two weeks is a risk factor for developing depression.

From "Sleepfoundation.org":
Sleep deprivation has been linked to health problems such as obesity and high blood pressure, negative mood and behavior, decreased productivity, and safety issues in the home, on the job, and on the road.
For example, insufficient sleep affects growth hormone secretion that is linked to obesity; as the amount of hormone secretion decreases, the chance for weight gain increases. Blood pressure usually falls during the sleep cycle, however, interrupted sleep can adversely affect this normal decline, leading to hypertension and cardiovascular problems. Research has also shown that insufficient sleep impairs the body's ability to use insulin, which can lead to the onset of diabetes.

Answer 2

Sleep requirements are different for everyone. Many factors to consider include age of person, activity level, stress levels in their life, overall general physical and mental health. Although there are general givens for the average person in all of the above, the bottom line is that the body will get required rest at some point. If the person is not yourself, then you cannot be sure that the level you describe is accurate. If it is you then be assured that at some point you will just have a nice long sleep some weekend or some other down time when your mind will subconsciously allow your body to take the rest it needs. Then again it is very likely that at this point in the person's life this is all the rest they require. Only time will tell...

Answer 3

Very little...(mentally)

When you body begins to accomodate the new schedule, your sleep cycles will speed-up, so that you will fall into an REM state within minutes of falling to sleep.

You will, however, become difficult to wake-up, and have a period of a few minutes to an hour or so when the ability to think or react to new situations will be *greatly* impared. Once out of this period, you'll be fine, if tired.

Incidentally, lack of sleep also is known to cause some serious *physical* ailments - including cardiac damage.

Do your best to try to obtain at least 6 hours.

Note: (edit) despite what others say, you can not "make-up" for lost sleep, nor "store-up" sleep.

Answer 4

Sleeping is required to give your body and mind good reast and 7 to 9 hours of sleep is considered adequate for a normal person. Sleep also accumulates, means if you also sleep during other times then your sleeping is not limited to only three hours. See if you sleep some other times also.

Having only 3 hours sleep is abnormal, however, it also depends upon your activities. If you feel fresh after you get up I don't think it is a matter of worry, but then it is better to consult a doctor.

Answer 5

Our body is like a laptop, if it has less battery, it will standby. But forcefully using can be posibble though. The body will need mental discipline because they'll knock down after doing that for at least 2 weeks.

Answer 6

Check out the sleep websites [the "sleepdisorders" site?] at http://www.ezy-build.net. (.net.nz/~shaneris) on page 3: insomnia, since one has a section on sleep deprivation: it's not healthy! Your error/accident rate will increase, and you will become a menace, on the roads.

Answer 7

They will be okay but they would feel tired everyday, they won't shut down..

Answer 8

nohing will happen