What are the main causes of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. How does DSPS differ from being a night owl. What are the most effective treatments for managing DSPS symptoms. How is Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome diagnosed. Can DSPS lead to other health issues if left untreated. What lifestyle changes can help improve sleep patterns for those with DSPS. Is Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome a lifelong condition or can it be cured.

What is Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome?

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS), also known as Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder or Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder, is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder that affects the body’s internal clock. People with DSPS struggle to fall asleep at socially acceptable bedtimes, with their sleep onset delayed by at least two hours, even when they feel tired. This condition can significantly impact daily life, interfering with work, school, and other routines.

DSPS can develop at any age but predominantly affects teenagers and young adults. Approximately 15% of adolescents and adults experience this condition. It’s important to note that DSPS differs from simply being a “night owl.” While night owls choose to stay up late, individuals with DSPS have a biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

Understanding the symptoms of DSPS is crucial for early detection and management. Here are the primary signs to watch for:

• Difficulty falling asleep at conventional bedtimes
• Inability to wake up at normal times
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Normal sleep quality once asleep
• Potential development of depression and behavior problems

Why do people with DSPS struggle to fall asleep at normal times? The delay in their internal clock keeps their body alert well past midnight, typically not allowing sleep until between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. This delayed sleep onset can worsen if individuals try to stay up for homework or social activities.

The Impact of DSPS on Daily Life

DSPS can have significant consequences on an individual’s daily functioning. The inability to fall asleep at a conventional time leads to difficulty waking up in the morning, as the internal clock hasn’t signaled the body to start the wake-up process. This can result in oversleeping into late morning or afternoon, causing disruptions to work or school schedules.

Moreover, the misalignment between sleep patterns and societal expectations can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness. Individuals with DSPS may find it challenging to focus and pay attention during the day, even if they’ve had enough sleep. This constant struggle can potentially lead to depression due to stress and poor performance in academic or professional settings.

Unraveling the Causes of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

While the exact cause of DSPS remains unknown, several factors have been associated with its development:

1. Genetics: There’s a strong hereditary component, with 40% of DSPS cases having a family history of the disorder.
2. Puberty-related changes: Adolescence brings about alterations in the body’s 24-hour sleep cycle, requiring later sleep and wake times.
3. Psychological and neurological disorders: DSPS has been linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and OCD.
4. Chronic insomnia: About 10% of individuals with chronic insomnia also experience DSPS.
5. Poor sleeping habits: Insufficient morning light exposure and excessive nighttime light exposure can exacerbate DSPS symptoms.

How does genetics influence the development of DSPS? Research suggests that certain genetic variations may affect the body’s circadian rhythm, predisposing individuals to delayed sleep patterns. This genetic link explains why having a close relative with DSPS increases one’s chances of developing the condition.

Diagnosing Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: What to Expect

Accurate diagnosis of DSPS is crucial for effective management. However, the condition is often misdiagnosed due to its symptoms overlapping with other disorders. Here’s what you can expect during the diagnostic process:

• Medical history review: Your doctor will gather information about your family history and symptoms.
• Sleep log: You may be asked to keep a detailed record of your sleep and wake times.
• Actigraphy: A wrist device may be used to track your sleep-wake patterns over an extended period.
• Sleep study: In some cases, a polysomnography might be conducted to rule out other sleep disorders.

Why is DSPS often misdiagnosed? Many individuals with DSPS force themselves to follow normal routines, leading to chronic fatigue that can be mistaken for depression. Additionally, reports of difficulty falling asleep may be misinterpreted as general insomnia. This is why consulting a sleep specialist is crucial for an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment Approaches for Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

Managing DSPS typically involves a combination of approaches aimed at resetting the body’s internal clock. Here are some common treatment strategies:

Light Therapy

Light therapy involves exposure to bright light in the morning to help shift the body’s circadian rhythm. This can be achieved through natural sunlight or light boxes designed for this purpose. How does light therapy work for DSPS? The exposure to bright light in the morning helps suppress melatonin production, signaling to the body that it’s time to be awake and alert.

Chronotherapy

Chronotherapy involves gradually adjusting sleep and wake times to align with a more conventional schedule. This process typically takes several weeks and requires strict adherence to the prescribed sleep schedule.

Melatonin Supplementation

Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles, can be taken as a supplement to help induce sleep earlier. It’s important to take melatonin at the right time under medical supervision for optimal results.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

CBT-I can help individuals with DSPS develop better sleep habits and address anxiety or stress related to their sleep patterns. This therapy often includes sleep hygiene education, relaxation techniques, and cognitive restructuring.

Lifestyle Modifications to Manage Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

In addition to medical treatments, certain lifestyle changes can significantly improve sleep patterns for those with DSPS:

• Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends
• Creating a relaxing bedtime routine
• Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and large meals close to bedtime
• Limiting screen time before bed
• Ensuring the bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool
• Engaging in regular exercise, but not too close to bedtime

How can consistent sleep schedules help manage DSPS? By maintaining regular sleep and wake times, even on weekends, individuals can help train their body’s internal clock to align more closely with societal norms. This consistency reinforces the circadian rhythm and can gradually shift sleep onset to earlier times.

Long-Term Outlook and Coping Strategies for DSPS

While DSPS can be a challenging condition to manage, many individuals learn to effectively cope with their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives. Here are some long-term strategies for living with DSPS:

Occupational Adjustments

When possible, seeking employment with flexible hours or later start times can significantly improve quality of life for those with DSPS. Some individuals find success in careers that align naturally with their delayed sleep schedule.

Educational Accommodations

Students with DSPS may benefit from working with their schools to arrange later class schedules or obtain accommodations for early morning classes. Many educational institutions are becoming more aware of sleep disorders and are willing to make reasonable adjustments.

Support Systems

Building a strong support network of family, friends, and healthcare providers who understand DSPS can be invaluable. This support can help individuals navigate the challenges of the condition and maintain their treatment plans.

Ongoing Monitoring

Regular check-ins with a sleep specialist can help track progress and make necessary adjustments to treatment plans. This is particularly important as life circumstances change, which may impact sleep patterns.

Is DSPS a lifelong condition? While DSPS is often chronic, many individuals find that their symptoms improve with consistent treatment and lifestyle modifications. Some may even experience a natural shift in their sleep patterns as they age. However, ongoing management is typically necessary to maintain improvements and prevent relapse.

The Importance of Raising Awareness About Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

Increasing public understanding of DSPS is crucial for several reasons:

• Early detection and treatment
• Reducing stigma and misunderstandings
• Improving workplace and educational policies
• Encouraging research and development of new treatments

How can increased awareness benefit individuals with DSPS? Greater public knowledge can lead to more empathy and accommodation in social and professional settings. It can also encourage those experiencing symptoms to seek help sooner, potentially preventing the development of associated mental health issues or chronic sleep deprivation.

In conclusion, Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome is a complex sleep disorder that can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. However, with proper diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle adjustments, many people with DSPS can effectively manage their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives. If you suspect you or a loved one may have DSPS, it’s crucial to consult with a sleep specialist for proper evaluation and personalized treatment recommendations.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is a type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder. It’s also known as delayed sleep phase disorder or delayed sleep-wake phase disorder.

DSPS is a problem with your internal body clock. If you have DSPS, you can’t fall asleep at a socially acceptable bedtime. Instead, your sleep is delayed by at least two hours. This happens even when you’re tired.

The delay can make you wake up later, which might interfere with work, school, and other daily routines.

DSPS is common. It can develop at any age, but it mostly affects teenagers and younger adults. Approximately 15 percent of adolescents and adults have DSPS.

The condition isn’t the same as being a “night owl.” If you’re a night owl, you choose to stay up late. But if you have DSPS, you’re up late because your body clock is delayed.

Difficulty falling asleep

DSPS makes it hard to fall asleep at a conventional bedtime. The delay in your internal clock tells your body to stay alert.

Typically, you won’t be able to sleep until several hours after midnight, between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Sleeping difficulty can get worse if you try to stay up to do homework or socialize.

Difficulty waking up

Because you can’t get to sleep until late, DSPS also makes it hard to get up at a normal time. This is because your internal clock hasn’t started telling your body to wake up.

You might sleep well into the late morning or afternoon.

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Daytime drowsiness occurs when you can’t fall asleep but need to wake up at a certain time. During the day, you might find it difficult to focus and pay attention.

Even if you fall asleep early, DSPS may prevent you from getting enough deep sleep. This can make you feel excessively tired throughout the day.

No other sleep issues

Usually DSPS isn’t accompanied by other sleep problems like sleep apnea.

Unless it’s interfering with daily activities, you may generally be getting enough quality sleep — it’s just delayed. Additionally, when you fall asleep, you have no problems staying asleep.

The problem is when you can sleep and wake up.

Depression and behavior problems

If you can’t keep a normal sleep schedule, you may develop depression due to stress.

Daytime sleepiness can also interfere with work or school. You might show up late, miss days, or have a hard time paying attention. Children and teenagers with DSPS may experience poor academic performance.

DSPS can also lead to a dependency on caffeine, alcohol, or sedatives.

While the exact cause of DSPS isn’t known, it’s often associated with several factors.

These include:

• Genetics. If you have a close relative with DSPS, you have a higher chance of developing the condition. Forty percent of people with DSPS have a family history of the disorder.
• Changes after puberty. During adolescence, the body’s 24-hour sleep cycle becomes longer, which requires later sleep and wake times. Adolescents also tend to become more social and take on more responsibilities.
• Psychological and neurological disorders. DSPS is linked to conditions like:
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Chronic insomnia. DSPS affects 10 percent of people with chronic insomnia.
• Poor sleeping habits. DSPS symptoms can get worse if you don’t get enough light exposure in the morning. Symptoms might also increase if you’re exposed to too much light at night.

DSPS isn’t the same as being a night owl.

If you’re a night owl, you might purposely stay up to do homework or socialize. You’ll also wake up later than usual.

But when it’s time to follow a normal routine, you’re able to adjust your sleep schedule.

If you have DSPS, you don’t try to stay up late. Instead, your internal clock delays sleep even if you’re tired. It may be difficult to adjust your body clock, which makes it difficult to sleep and wake at normal times.

DSPS is often misdiagnosed.

This is because many people with DSPS force themselves to follow a normal routine. So, if you’re constantly fatigued, you might be misdiagnosed with depression. If you report problems falling asleep, you might be misdiagnosed with insomnia.

If you or your child has sleep issues, talk to a sleep specialist. You should also see a doctor if you have delayed sleep for at least seven days.

A sleep specialist can do different tests to determine if you have DSPS.

This might include the following:

• Gathering medical history. This helps your doctor understand your family history and symptoms.
• Request a sleep log. Your doctor might have you write down when you fall asleep and wake up each day. If you’d like, come prepared to your first appointment with a sleep log.
• Actigraphy. You’ll wear a wrist device that tracks your sleep-wake patterns. This test is best done when you’re off from work or school, because you won’t need to wake up for various responsibilities.
• Polysomnogram. If your doctor thinks you have a different sleep disorder, they might request an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram. As you sleep, the test will monitor your brain waves and heart rate so your doctor can see what your body does during sleep.

Generally, DSPS treatment involves more than one method.

The purpose of treatment is to normalize your sleep schedule by adjusting your body clock.

Your doctor will choose the best treatments for your symptoms and lifestyle. This might include:

• Advancing your internal clock. Each night, you’ll go to bed about 15 minutes earlier. You’ll also wake up a bit earlier each day.
• Delaying your internal clock. Also known as chronotherapy, this method involves delaying your bedtime 1 to 2.5 hours every six days. This is repeated until you can follow a normal sleep schedule.
• Bright light therapy. After waking up, you will sit near a light box for 30 minutes. The morning light exposure can help you sleep sooner by advancing your internal clock.
• Melatonin supplements. Your doctor might have you take melatonin, a hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. The best amount and timing is different for each person, so it’s important to follow your doctor’s exact instructions.
• Improving sleep hygiene. Good sleep habits include following a regular sleep schedule and avoiding electronics before bedtime. You should also avoid these things before going to sleep:
  • caffeine
  • alcohol
  • tobacco
  • vigorous exercise

Usually, a teen who has DSPS won’t grow out of it.

DSPS often continues into adulthood, so it needs to be actively treated.

The initial treatment will adjust your body clock. But to maintain that change, you’ll need to continue treatment.

Your doctor can explain the best way to keep treating DSPS.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is a body clock disorder. Your sleep cycle is delayed, so you can’t fall asleep until two or more hours past the “normal” bedtime.

DSPS isn’t the same as being a night owl. If you have DSPS, you don’t choose to stay up late. You can’t fall asleep even when you’re tired.

With your doctor’s help, you can get your sleep back on track. Treatment aims to change your body clock with bright light therapy, melatonin, and good sleep hygiene. It might also involve adjusting your sleep and wake times.

DSPS is most common in teenagers, but it can happen at any age. Talk to your doctor if you or your child is having sleep issues.

Can You Die from Lack of Sleep? Here’s What We Know

Suffering through one sleepless night after another can make you feel pretty rotten. You might toss and turn, unable to get comfortable, or simply lie awake while your brain wanders restlessly from one anxious thought to another.

Exhaustion and sleep loss can have plenty of consequences, but it’s pretty rare to die from lack of sleep. That said, operating on little to no sleep can increase your risk of having an accident while driving or doing something potentially hazardous.

Getting less sleep than you need for a night or two can lead to a foggy, unproductive day, but it usually won’t hurt you much.

But when you regularly lose sleep, you’ll start to see some unwanted health effects pretty quickly. Consistently getting just an hour or two less sleep than you need can contribute to:

• slower reaction time
• changes in mood
• higher risk for physical illness
• worsened mental health symptoms

What about going an entire night without sleep? Or longer?

You’ve probably pulled an all-nighter or two before. Maybe you stayed up all night to put the finishing touches on a budget proposal or complete your graduate thesis.

If you’re a parent, you may have experienced more than a few sleepless nights — and you probably have a few choice words about the myth that coping with lost sleep gets easier over time.

Your body needs sleep to function, and going without doesn’t just feel unpleasant, it can also have some pretty serious consequences.

Missing just one night of sleep may not be too problematic, but you’ll start to notice some side effects. The longer you go without, the more severe these effects will become.

Here’s how the body tends to respond when you stay awake for:

1 day

Staying awake for 24 hours can affect you in much the same way as intoxication.

Research from 2010 suggests that staying up for 20 to 25 hours affects your focus and performance as much as having a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.10 percent. In most places, you’re considered to be legally drunk when you have a BAC of 0.08 percent.

Needless to say, you’re going to want to avoid driving or doing something potentially unsafe if you’ve been up for a full day and night.

A sleepless night can have other effects, too.

You might notice things like:

• daytime sleepiness
• fogginess
• changes in mood, like crankiness or a shorter temper than usual
• difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• tremors, shakiness, or tense muscles
• trouble seeing or hearing

1.5 days

After 36 hours without sleep, you’ll begin noticing a much heavier impact on health and function.

Prolonged disruption of your normal sleep-wake cycle puts your body under stress. In response, it ramps up the production of cortisol (the stress hormone).

Hormonal imbalances can affect your body’s typical reactions and functions. You might notice changes in your mood and appetite, increased stress, or chills and other changes in your body temperature.

Your body’s oxygen intake can also decrease when you stay awake for this length of time.

Other consequences of 36 hours of sleeplessness include:

• patchy memory
• declining energy and motivation
• short attention span or inability to pay attention
• cognitive difficulties, including trouble with reasoning or decision-making
• intense fatigue and drowsiness
• trouble speaking clearly or finding the right word

2 days

When you go without sleep for 48 hours, things start to get pretty miserable. You may drift through the day, feeling foggy or completely out of touch with what’s happening.

General effects of sleep deprivation usually worsen. You might find it even more difficult to concentrate or remember things. You might also notice increases in irritability or moodiness.

The effects of sleeplessness on your immune system also intensify after 2 days. This can increase your chances of getting sick since your immune system can’t fight off illness as well as it usually would.

Staying awake also becomes pretty challenging.

After 2 full days without sleep, people often begin experiencing what’s known as a microsleep. A microsleep happens when you lose consciousness briefly, for anywhere from a few seconds to half a minute. You don’t realize what’s happening until you come to, but you’ll probably reawaken with some confusion and grogginess.

3 days

If you’ve gone 3 days without sleeping, things are about to get weird.

Chances are, you won’t be able to think about much besides sleep. You’ll probably find it difficult to focus on conversations, your work, even your own thoughts. Even simple activities, like getting up to look for something, might seem too difficult to contemplate.

Along with this extreme exhaustion, you might notice your heart is beating much more rapidly than usual.

You’ll probably also notice changes in mood or problems with emotional regulation. It’s not uncommon to experience feelings of depression, anxiety, or paranoia after going without sleep for a few days.

Going without sleep for this length of time can also affect your perception of reality, which can:

• cause illusions and hallucinations
• make you believe inaccurate information is true
• trigger what’s called the hat phenomenon, which happens when you feel pressure around your head

More than 3 days

To put it plainly, going without sleep for 3 days or longer is very dangerous.

The side effects listed above will only get worse. You’ll probably start experiencing more frequent hallucinations and increased paranoia. Eventually, symptoms of psychosis can trigger a disconnect from reality.

Your risk of having an accident while driving or performing any potentially risky task will increase greatly as you experience more microsleeps. If it’s been more than 3 days and you can’t sleep, it’s best to see your healthcare provider right away.

Eventually, your brain will begin to stop functioning properly, which can lead to organ failure and, in rare cases, death. Plus, your risk of having some kind of accident skyrockets.

So far, we’ve established two things: Sleep is essential, and going without sleep can eventually cause some pretty nasty side effects.

But it may surprise you to learn you actually can have too much of a good thing. While sleeping too much usually isn’t life threatening, it’s been associated with a higher mortality rate.

Chronic oversleeping can also cause:

• cognitive impairment, including problems with reasoning and speaking
• daytime drowsiness
• sluggishness or low energy
• headaches
• feelings of depression or low mood
• trouble falling or staying asleep

A 2014 study of 24,671 adults found evidence to link sleeping more than 10 hours a night, or long sleeping, to depression and obesity. Long sleeping has also been associated with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Experts have developed some recommendations to help you determine just how much sleep you need. Getting close to this amount most nights can prevent side effects of sleep deprivation and help you maintain good health overall.

Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Your optimal sleep time may depend on a few factors, including age and gender. Older adults may sleep a little less, and women may sleep a little more.

Check out our sleep calculator to get a better idea of how much sleep you need each night.

If you regularly have problems getting enough restful sleep, it may help to take a look at your sleep habits.

These tips can help you get more — and better — sleep:

Only use your bedroom for sleep

Your bedroom should be a sacred place. Limiting bedroom activities to sleeping, sex, and maybe a little reading before bed can help you switch to relaxation mode when you enter your room. This helps you prepare for sleep.

Avoid working, using your phone, or watching TV in your bedroom, as these can wake you right back up.

Make your bedroom as comfortable as you can

A soothing sleeping environment can help you get to sleep more easily. Follow these tips:

• Keep your room cool to sleep better.
• Layer your blankets so they can be easily removed and added back if needed.
• Choose a comfortable mattress and pillows, but avoid cluttering the bed with pillows.
• Hang curtains or light-canceling blinds in order to block light.
• Use a fan for white noise if you live in an apartment or have noisy roommates.
• Invest in quality sheets and blankets.

Consistency is key

You might not need to go to bed early on the weekends, or any other time when you don’t have to get up at a specific time, but getting up at odd hours can throw off your internal clock.

If you stay up late one night and still have to get up early, you might plan to catch up with a nap. This sometimes helps, but napping can complicate things even more: Take a nap too late in the day, and you won’t be able to get to sleep on time that night, either.

To get the best sleep, try going to bed around the same time every night and getting up at approximately the same time each morning, even if you don’t have to.

Activity can help

Physical activity can tire you out, so it might seem logical to assume getting enough exercise will improve your sleep.

It certainly can. Better sleep is among the many benefits of regular physical activity. If you’re having trouble sleeping, though, make sure to get that workout in at least a few hours before bedtime.

Exercising too late in the day can wear you out and keep you awake.

Looking for more tips? Here are 17 more to help you get to bed (and stay there).

Missing a night or two of sleep won’t kill you, but it can do a number on your health and ability to function during the day.

Because good sleep is such an important part of good health, it’s wise to talk to your healthcare provider if you continue to have trouble sleeping, whether that trouble involves too little sleep or too much.

Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.

What will happen to the body if you don’t sleep for a day, two, a week — we tell you by day

Stories

A still from David Fincher’s film “Fight Club” (1999). The face of the protagonist Tyler Durden with huge bags under his eyes has become a symbol of insomnia on the Internet.

Photo

Kinopoisk

Throughout his life a person spends in a state of sleep from 15 to 30 years . But do not consider this time worthlessly spent – sleep is very important for the body. And the main troubles begin not in cases where there is a lot of sleep, but on the contrary, when there is too little sleep . We tell you what threatens to refuse a night’s rest for different periods of time.

24 hours

A rare person has not spent at least once in his life a sleepless night: preparation for exams, a friendly party, New Year’s Eve, night work, in the end … If after that there is an opportunity to sleep, then it is not so scary.

If, after an active night, the same day follows, then a person may start to have a headache, it will be difficult for him to concentrate. A brutal appetite will wake up – the body is trying to compensate for the lack of rest with high-calorie food. A sleepless person can drink liters of coffee, trying to recover, but this will not help for long. By the way, we recently talked about why coffee does not invigorate and how to drink it correctly.

What are the risks of this regular daily lack of sleep? First of all, problems with the cardiovascular and digestive systems, they work to the limit due to a large amount of fatty foods, coffee and tea .

Studies show that the effects of one sleepless night on the body are comparable to cognitive impairment at 0.1% blood alcohol. This, by the way, increases the risk of getting into an accident.

“After 24 hours of sleep deprivation, a person’s levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline increase,” explains John Kline, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Yale School of Medicine and Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. – Brain is trying to cope with not being able to reboot . And these hormones help keep the body active.”

36 hours

At this stage, your health is already at serious risk. First, you will be very sleepy. If this is not possible, you may begin microsleeps — periods of falling out of reality. They can last from a fraction of a second up to 30 seconds . But even this time is enough for you to lose control of what is happening around and a disaster occurs.

At the same time, markers of inflammation increase in the blood. This can lead to cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, as well as hormonal failure – after all, cortisol continues to flow into the blood, which means that you are in a state of prolonged stress .

Photo

Zoonar GmbH / Alamy

At this time, stomach pains may also appear, because due to lack of sleep glucose metabolism is disturbed . You will feel everything that you felt 12 hours ago, but in many times larger volume . Dizziness, watery eyes, inhibited reactions, weakened immune system. Congratulations, you are almost a zombie.

48 hours

You are literally sleeping on the go – due to the extreme stage of sleep deprivation, your brain turns off more and more often, micro-sleeps follow one another.

If you have not slept for two days, you will most likely lash out at everyone around you. It will be very difficult to work: you will not be able to reason and keep the necessary information in your head .

By the way, the immune system is also affected. A study of volunteers who refused sleep for three days, already after 48 hours of wakefulness, showed a decrease of NK cells , which are called natural killer cells, by as much as 37%. NK cells play a key role in fighting viruses and tumor formation.

72 hours

After three days of insomnia, disturbances in the functioning of all body systems will begin. Even the gait will change – the person will move as if he were very drunk. Speech is disturbed, chills, tremors, and nervous tics begin. Appetite, on the contrary, disappears. At this stage, continuing to refuse sleep is life-threatening.

Another study published in Comprehensive Psychiatry showed how 12 astronauts survived 72 hours without sleep. All participants in the experiment recorded tachycardia, depressive mood, depression .

“The body really wants to switch off, and you force the brain to fight this desire,” says John Kline. “As a result, a person comes into a very fragile emotional state, and your brain has matured to hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.”

96 hours

This is the last stage. In four days, the perception of reality will be greatly distorted. The desire to sleep will be simply unbearable. You will not be able to correctly interpret reality. This is called sleep deprivation psychosis .

It is important to understand that the more awake you are, the more difficult it will be to recover. So, just an hour of sleep loss would take four days to bounce back. Now think about how many days you haven’t had enough sleep so far.

Previously, Vokrug Sveta talked about what social jet lag is and what a typical lifestyle of a modern megalopolis resident has to do with it.

Read also other materials from the series “What will happen if…”:

• about the complete rejection of alcohol;

• whether the bladder might burst;

• about the habit of always having dinner late at night;

• about love for tomato juice.

Irina Sebeleva

Materials from the website Everyday health.

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• health

What happens if you do not sleep for 1 day: consequences, harm, impact 0002 Updated:

04/17/2023, 18:13

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What happens if you don’t sleep for 1 day? This can cause a number of negative effects on your body. Among them: fatigue, drowsiness, decreased immunity, stress, disruption of the cardiovascular system, mood deterioration and mental health problems. And this is only a small part of the harm of a day without sleep.

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Adults most often suffer from this. Moreover, they also happen intentionally due to various reasons do not sleep for more than 1 day. However, it should be noted that adults are advised to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day to maintain health and wellness. If you have trouble sleeping, seek the advice of a doctor or sleep specialist.

What will happen if you don’t sleep for 1 day: consequences, harm, impact. Photo: Pixabay.com

But what will happen if you don’t sleep for 1 day? Details – in the material Bizmedia.kz. And to begin with, let’s briefly understand how the human body reacts to lack of sleep in general.

The reaction of the body to the fact that you do not sleep

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Depending on age, health status, living conditions and nutrition, people tolerate lack of sleep in different ways. For example, children and teenagers need more sleep than adults. Lack of sleep in childhood can lead to socialization problems, poor academic performance, bad habits and dangerous relationships, and physical retardation.

The overall effect of prolonged wakefulness is similar to lack of sleep, the only difference being the speed at which the effects appear.

What happens if you don’t sleep for 1 day

After staying awake for 24 hours, most people begin to feel negative effects.

During the first 24 hours without sleep, body temperature may drop, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline rise, blood sugar rises (insulin levels decrease), muscles become tense.

Lack of sleep disrupts the natural cycle of sleep and rest, which can disrupt the production of hormones responsible for growth, appetite, metabolism and immunity. Also, lack of sleep can lead to deterioration of vision and hearing, as well as a change in the perception of the world.

Due to the stress load on the brain, it switches to the “local sleep” mode, temporarily turning off part of the neurons, which leads to drowsiness, irritability, decreased concentration, coordination, memory, and also increases appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no sleep during the day is equivalent to drinking 30-60 ml of pure alcohol. This corresponds to 0.8-1 ppm blood alcohol. Therefore, driving a car after a day without sleep is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.

What will happen if you do not sleep for 1 day: consequences, harm, influence. Photo: Freepik.com

What happens if you do not sleep for 1 day or more

More than 36 hours without sleep (1.5 days)

Psychiatrists in California found that after 30 hours of being awake, people’s ability to recognize emotions deteriorates. The simplest operations can become difficult due to brain fatigue. And also:

• The effects described earlier are enhanced.
• Fatigue is cumulative.
• Speech disorders appear.
• Decreased motivation.
• The likelihood of making risky decisions is growing.
• Flexibility of thinking is reduced.

More than 48 hours without sleep (2 days)

The longer a person stays awake, the more pronounced the negative effects of sleep deprivation become. After 48 hours of being awake, significant fatigue sets in. In this regard, the brain automatically enters a state of microsleep – short periods of complete loss of consciousness, which can last several seconds.

Due to prolonged lack of sleep, the negative effects become more pronounced. A person may occasionally enter a micro-sleep state and begin to feel confused and disoriented. Immunity is reduced, which increases the risk of contracting viral and inflammatory diseases such as influenza, SARS and others, as studies by Brazilian immunologists have shown.

After 72 hours without sleep (3 days)

After 3 days without sleep, extremely serious negative effects occur, which can lead to the inability to wake up independently. The person may begin to suffer mental disorders such as paranoia, psychosis, and depression. Mental abilities are reduced so much that even simple tasks become difficult. Memory problems are experienced, a person may forget what he is doing right in the course of the task.

Perception of the world can also change, hallucinations and illusions appear .

Chinese psychologists from Beijing University conducted an experiment and concluded that even healthy people find it difficult to stay awake without sleep for three days. The participants in the experiment were isolated from society and did not sleep for 72 hours. Their pulse quickened, the amplitude of heart contractions worsened, and their mood worsened.

What will happen if you do not sleep for 1 day: consequences, harm, influence. Photo: Pixabay.com

A person who has not slept for 3 days will experience extreme fatigue, impaired concentration and memory, possible paranoia and depression. He will have difficulty multitasking and interacting with other people.

If you get a good night’s sleep, most of the effects that have been listed will pass. Proper nutrition and plenty of fluids can partially reduce these effects, but it is not a substitute for proper sleep.

How long can a person live if he does not sleep at all

Randy Gardner is the world’s most famous wakefulness record holder. He set a new record in the winter of 1963-1964 by going 264 hours – over 11 days without sleep – and breaking previous records of 90 hours (Albert Shilbert and George Patrick), 201 hours (Peter Tripp) and 260 hours (Tom Rounds). ). His two classmates helped him stay awake. The record was set by Stanford University professor William Dement and Colonel John Ross, who also monitored the student’s health.

Randy did not use any drugs or other means to stay awake. Although he was in good physical shape and could beat Dement in pinball during the final days of the experiment, the lack of sleep affected his cognitive abilities.

What will happen if you do not sleep for 1 day: consequences, harm, influence. Photo: Freepik.ru

Four days after the incident, Gardner began to hallucinate: he imagined himself a player in the US Football League and mistakenly took a road sign for a person. On the last day of the experiment, Randy tried to successively subtract seven from the previous figure, starting at 100, but stopped at 65 because he forgot what he was doing.

Psychiatrists from Arizona analyzed the results of this experiment and concluded that Randy Gardner’s brain adapted to constant wakefulness by turning on and off various parts of neurons.

After this experiment, the Guinness Book of Records no longer recorded such achievements.

Despite this, people kept trying to beat Gardner’s record. In 2007, Tony Wright, 42, went awake for 274 hours. In order to stay awake, he drank tea, played billiards and kept an online diary, while cameras monitored the purity of the experiment. Wright admitted that he was very tired. During the experiment, his speech sometimes became unclear, and the colors seemed very bright. There were other daredevils, but none of the subsequent cases passed verification.

To answer the question of how long a person can live without sleep, one can turn to animal experiments. However, the most recent of these experiments was carried out by the physician Marina Manaseina at the end of the 19th century in Russia. She stopped puppies from sleeping, and after five days they died. This experiment allowed Manaseina to conclude that sleep is very important for our body, even more important than food. Nevertheless, Manaseina herself admitted that this experiment was very difficult for her.

Insomnia and regular sleep deprivation are also very dangerous

Negative consequences for the body are caused not only by long wakefulness, but also by constant lack of sleep, when instead of the necessary 7-8 hours of sleep, a person rests only 5-6 hours every day.

What will happen if you do not sleep for 1 day: consequences, harm, influence. Photo: Pixabay.com

This sleep deprivation can accumulate and present with symptoms resembling those of extreme wakefulness, including fatigue, drowsiness, poor concentration, memory and coordination problems, irritability, mood swings, increased appetite, restlessness, worsening immunity, increased risk of accidents, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, increased chance of stopping breathing during sleep, decreased fertility, and impaired ability of the body to heal wounds and form new brain cells, as shown in experiments on rats.

Sleep restriction or chronic insomnia increase the risk of developing various diseases. According to somnologists, people who have a lack of sleep are more likely to suffer from the following diseases:

• cancer;
• Alzheimer’s disease;
• dementia;
• cardiovascular complications such as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

What happens if you do not sleep for 1 day: how quickly the body recovers

To paraphrase the text: Some temporary restrictions in sleep will not have a significant impact on health. For example, if a person briefly limits himself to sleep for some reason, then the body will quickly recover, and the next night he will have more deep sleep.

However, if you stay awake for more than a day, you may experience trouble concentrating, mood swings, and feeling tired, resulting in decreased physical activity and ability to solve complex problems. To avoid dangerous consequences, doctors do not recommend staying without sleep for more than 4 days, and do not conduct such experiments.

What happens if you do not sleep for 1 day: conclusion

The decision how much time to spend in studies and rest lies with each individual. However, if a person refuses to sleep for a long period, this can negatively affect their health and performance.

What will happen if you do not sleep for 1 day: consequences, harm, influence. Photo: Pixabay.com

Research shows that sleep is necessary for the renewal of the body and the restoration of mental and physical strength. In order to fall asleep easily and have sufficient rest, you need to follow the daily routine, avoid stress, physical and intellectual overload, and reduce the intake of fatty and salty foods.

Avoiding late-night technology use, such as watching TV and social media, can also help you sleep better. In the end, don’t go against the natural needs of your body, because sufficient and high-quality sleep is the key to good health and productivity.

What happens if you do not sleep for 1 day: answers to popular questions

What happens if a teenager does not sleep all night?

Research shows that not sleeping one night will not lead to disaster. If your work does not require special concentration and focus, then you can continue to perform your duties properly even after a sleepless night without compromising quality.