Sleep deprivation is getting less sleep than your body needs.
Sleep deprivation can make you feel tired after just a night of poor sleep.
What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation?
Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell
The effects of sleep deprivation are felt throughout the day.
The most common symptoms of not getting enough sleep are obvious: feeling sleepy and drowsy.
Some people feel a strong desire to sleep or a sense of feeling run down.
There are other effects of sleep deprivation that are less obvious.
You might even go weeks without realizing that your symptoms are fromsleep deprivation.
Common symptoms of sleep deprivation include:
Do Stimulants Make Sleep Deprivation Feel Worse?
At that point, you’ll feel the full effects of being sleep-deprived and even caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
What Causes Sleep Deprivation?
Sleep deprivation can happen whenever youre not getting as much sleep as your body needs to function well.
There are many possible reasons for sleep deprivation.
How Long Does Sleep Deprivation Last?
The less sleep you get, the more your sleep deprivation will affect you.
When sleep deprivation becomes an ongoing problem, the effects are likely to become more obvious and serious.
You may also experience sleep deprivation due to a medical condition.
Sleep disorders can also make it harder for you to get a good night’s sleep.
Here are a few examples:
What Are the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Body?
Sleep has a key role in learning.
Sleeping helps your brain consolidate the days events, solidifying and recording memories.
When your sleep is disrupted, changes in the brain can impair these important processes.
Hormones are complex and operate with positive and negative feedback loops that make up for highandlow hormone levels.
Sleep Assessment
A healthcare provider can figure out if youre sleep deprived in a few ways.
They will start by asking about your sleep habits and time spent sleeping.
Beyond the number of hours that youre getting a night, sleep quality is also important.
Your provider will also ask you how fast you fall asleep once you get into bed.
Your sleep latency can also be measured with a sleep study called themultiple sleep latency test.
Common signs of sleep deprivation include:
How Much Sleep Do People Need?
Most humans have similar sleep needs, though there are variations.
Average sleep requirements based on age can be used to figure out whether you might be deprived.
How Is Sleep Deprivation Treated?
Ideally, preventing sleep deprivation will help keep you focused and full of energy.
In this case, most of the physical side effects of sleep deprivation are minor and easy to fix.
However, most people need more time to recover from sleep deprivation that lasts weeks or longer.
This can help you reset your sleep schedule and get back on track to consistent sleep.
Taking Sleep Medication
For insomnia that isnt easily solved, medication may be needed.
However, its important to talk to your provider about the risks of taking medications to help you sleep.
Some sleep aids have serious side effects and cant be used as a long-term treatment.
Even OTC options like melatonin can affect your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
Should I Force Myself to Stay Awake?
Work to make changes that will allow you to get the rest you need when you need it.
How Is Sleep Deprivation Prevented?
Figure out how you could do your best to verify youre consistently meeting your sleep needs.
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