What Would Happen If You Didn’t Sleep?

Dr. Claudia Aguirre explains:

What dreams may come (or not)

Story time: in 1965, 17-year-old Randy Gardner stayed awake for 264 hours (11 days); by the end he had severe cognitive and perceptual impairments, including poor concentration, memory problems, paranoia, and hallucinations, though he later recovered without lasting damage.

This is generally not a good idea. Sleep is essential for physical and mental health, with most adults needing 7–8 hours per night and adolescents needing more like 10–12 hours (because yes, they are essentially body-building!). “Needing” does not necessarily equate to “getting”, though, and about 30% of adults and 66% of adolescents in the United States are estimated to be regularly sleep-deprived.

During waking hours, brain cells generate waste products, including adenosine, which accumulate and increase the drive to sleep. Then, during non-REM sleep, breathing and heart rate slow, muscles relax, DNA repair occurs, and the body restores itself for the next day. And during sleep in general, the brain’s glymphatic system becomes much more active, using cerebrospinal fluid to flush away toxic waste products that accumulate between brain cells.

In contrast, missing sleep impairs learning, memory, mood, coordination, and reaction time, and is associated with inflammation, hallucinations, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. In fact, chronic sleep deprivation can greatly increase the risk of stroke, and in extreme situations can even lead to death.

So… Sweet dreams!

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Take care!