The Five Stages of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is one of the most imperative biological needs for the restoration of both physical and mental well-being. It leads importantly to good cognitive functioning, such as learning and memory consolidation, emotional functions, emotional regulation, and even the repair of tissues and strengthening of the immune system. Sleep has been valued throughout history as necessary for health, and modern scientific evidence is doing much to support this message. Today, though, in the breakneck world of society, sleep is seen as being easy to circumvent, with many millions sleeping insufficiently. 

Chronic sleep deprivation is problematic and has far-reaching negative consequences, ranging from cognitive impairment to cardiovascular effects. Sleep deprivation can be separated into stages wherein each stage signifies worse symptoms both in the physical and mental aspects. In this article, we take a closer look at the five stages of sleep deprivation in more detail, showing how the gradual ramifications of not getting sleep start to show up in the body and mind at each level. 

Level 1: Sleep Deprivation for 24 Hours 

Most people at some point in their lives have experienced staying up all night due to work or studies, attending social events, or engaging in other activities that deprive us of sleep for 24 hours. At this point, the effects have already built up to severity, even though a single night may be okay. 

1. Impaired Cognition 

After 24 hours without sleep, one has started to show signs of impaired cognition. According to research conducted in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 24 hours of wakefulness is equal to a BAC of 0.10%, and this is higher than any country’s legal driving limit. The chances of accidents involving tasks requiring maintained attention, such as driving, are also increased at this point. Memory consolidation, especially short-term memory, also suffers. The whole world will be clouded over, and individuals will not know what they can do-they will be unable to concentrate, remember anything, or even think straight. 

Since sleep controls moods, at 24 hours emotional stability begins to break down. One feels irritable, and touchy, and tends to cry more than usual. Results of a recent study published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews reveal that it impairs emotional response by stocking up on the bad and suppressing the good ones, leaving one feeling that he or she cannot cope with social connections because of higher levels of irritation and tension. It severely disabled the management of emotional stimuli. 

2. Physical Effect 

At the physical level, 24 hours without sleep activates a stress response in the body. The hormone cortisol will then be released into the system. This increases heart rate and blood pressure. When the cortisol levels are at a peak, the body is on high alert; however, this leaves one with an added burden on the cardiovascular system. Other affected fine motor skills are such activities carried out by the brain, using precise movements, like typing or driving which would be complicated. The immune system now begins to compromise the body’s defence systems, and infections easily occur. 

Second Stage: 36 Hours of Sleep Deprivation 

At this point, when sleep deprivation has been achieved at 36 hours, the body and mind fight much harder to function normally. 

1. Loss of Cognitive and Behavioral Function 

The force at this time is bringing periods of “microsleep.” These are sleep episodes that can range from several fractions of a second to a whole 30 seconds in duration. Microsleep strikes without warning, and the most worrying thing is when the person is driving or operating machinery. During a microsleep episode, the individual will seem awake but have no memory of what happened.

Memory consolidation is impaired at such a higher level. Activities that call for advanced cognitive functioning, such as solving a problem or exercising critical thinking, are extremely challenging. According to the American Psychological Association, decision-making is significantly impaired at this stage, with the person more disposed to take risks or make bad judgments due to a feeling of loss of control and a deficiency in reasoning. 

2. Emotional and Psychological Impact 

They become emotionally very reactive and unstable. Anxiety and paranoia thoughts now manifest will cause them to be cranky and experience emotional explosions. Behavioral can also manifest and include the loss of inhibition. For this reason, they are now prone to participate in dangerous acts or risky behaviours at best. Even the most minute stressors quickly overwhelm the sleepless whose normal selves hardly react to such generally minor factors. 

It is slightly more visible on the physical level. Blood pressure and heart rate are still above normal, which may imply that such people are at risk of cardiovascular disease. Muscle coordination and balance are also usually affected, where the chances of accident or injury are high. The immune system is again suppressed, and they are likely to catch infections like the common cold or flu. Meanwhile, headaches or even the gastrointestinal type may assail them as the body tries to retain its normal functions. 

Stage 3: Sleep Loss for 48 Hours 

At the 48-hour mark without sleep, they finally fall into deep sleep deprivation. The brain can no longer function accordingly and the process of normal body function deterioration is found. 

1. Hallucinations and Delusional Thinking 

Hallucination is common during this stage. These can be as simple as just visual distortion, for instance, watching running shadows, or complete complex hallucinations where the individual believes that he or she is seeing or hearing something that isn’t there. According to the Journal of Sleep Research, the brain becomes unable to differentiate between reality and dreams since it has been deprived of rest.

The mind starts to confuse the imagination with what is real and subsequently experiences sensory misperception. Delusions, that is, intense beliefs about things that are not true, also begin to manifest. Some begin to have paranoia or ruminate irrationally. Such beliefs as being persecuted or followed often materialize. A person will become convinced that someone is following him despite proof of their presence in the home. 

2. Cognitive Dysfunction 

The brain can deteriorate further and decrease its ability to perform cognitively to 48 hours. Problem-solving, attention, and working memory are significantly impaired. In one study that was published in NeuroReport in 2004, it was demonstrated that people deprived of sleep at this stage were unable to perform well on tasks that required logical reasoning and intricate thinking. The brain is in survival mode, where simple functions are given higher priority over higher-order cognitive processes. 

3. Physical Effects 

Physically, a body begins to suffer graver symptoms of sleep deprivation. Higher cortisol and stress on cardiovascular systems cause increased inflammation. A sleep-deprived person may endure muscle pain and weakness; coordination in movement may be a problem. Also, the regulation of body temperature will be hampered, making the person feel too hot or too cold, with no real reason why. These physiological symptoms point to the shut-down of non-essential functions by the body as a result of saving energy. 

Stage 4: 72 hours of sleep deprivation 

At 72 hours of sleep deprivation, the individual is in a dire state of physical and mental disorganization. The body and the brain enter into a crisis condition.

1. Breaking up of Thought Process and Psychosis 

This stage impedes all cognitive functioning. The patient could produce incoherent speech, and the patient might be unable to write sentences or understand a normal conversation. Eventually, the brain will lose memory and learning functions as well. The patient will suffer from delusions that are hallucinations, and the individual will exhibit psychotic episodes because of the lack of sleep and psychosis because of it. This is a position that is described by extreme conditions of disorientation, paranoid behaviour, and inability to differentiate between reality and delusion. 

There exists sleep deprivation psychosis, is a rare yet more acute form of mental disorder triggered by extreme sleep deprivation. Victims of psychosis may perform irrational or violent actions, seemingly reacting to hallucinations or what they believe to be a threat to their lives. In extreme cases, such individuals will prove dangerous to themselves or even others around them. 

2. Physical Health Breakdown 

Physically, the body is at a total shutdown stage. Muscle weakness, tremors, and blurry vision become common. The risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke is also increased, as a person’s ability to cope with internal stress has been suppressed. Here, the immune system is non-functional, and the individual will be extremely vulnerable to serious infections and illnesses. Furthermore, the body could begin to convert muscle mass to provide the organism with energy, bringing extreme weakness and physical deterioration. An increased pain sensitivity, as well as the loss of appetite, is also noticed among patients from the problem of breaking the regulation of body and basic needs. 

Stage 5: More than 72 hours of Lack of Sleep 

Few have survived this long without medical interventions because longer than 72 hours of lack of sleep could kill. 

1. Total Brain Failure and Breakdown-Cognitive and Physical

At this stage, even the ability of the brain to serve was erased. Delusions and hallucinations occur all the time. Even the boundary between sleeping and waking states may become indistinguishable for such an individual. Sometimes they may even cut themselves off completely from reality. They may come out with unreasonable and senseless acts. 

The body is also shutting down potentially. The chances of seizures develop into a strong possibility since the electrical activity in the brain is becoming more and more pathological. The chances of organ failure become a considerable threat since the body does not have sufficient energy and resources to maintain normal bodily functions. In extreme cases of sleep deprivation, death can occur through complications such as heart failure or stroke, amongst others, or multi-organ failure. 

Long-term Effects of Sleep Deprivation 

Whereas the immediate after-effects of sleep deprivation are pathogenic, the long-term effect can be as destructive. Long-term sleep deprivation has been associated with higher vulnerability to certain severely disabling health conditions including: 

• Neurological disorders: Sleep deprivation has been associated with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. Lack of it is known to worsen symptoms of these conditions as well as trigger episodes in predisposed individuals. 
• Metabolic disorders: Long-term sleep deprivation leads to obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Abnormal sleep patterns cause malfunction of the system controlling glucose, causing weight gain and leading to metabolic problems.
• Cardiovascular diseases: The risk of hypertension and heart disease along with stroke due to chronic sleep deprivation is considerably increased. Sleep deprivation causes constant strain on the cardiovascular system, and due to this, long-term damage and even fatal outcomes may take place in some cases. 

Conclusion 

The five stages of lack of sleep without a doubt reveal at what drastic rate sleep is necessary for both health as well as mental well-being. Cognitive capabilities may start deteriorating and eventually worsen to such a phenomenal speed that short-term effects can almost be life-threatening with emotional instability and all the worst health conditions. Some stages may cause accidental or even fatal consequences that are sometimes more unbearable than others. Good sleep is well established to foster both short-term functioning and long-term health, and this is where the ultimate success of the campaign to raise public awareness will rely on conveying rationale for the recognition of the need for adequate, restorative sleep in our daily lives. 

FAQs 

1. How does one feel after 24 hours of no sleep? 

After 24 hours, cognition drops, much like a BAC of 0.10%. Mood lability, irritability, and concentration drop also. 

2. What happens to your body after 24 hours of no sleep? 

You will experience an increase in cortisol. This means an elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and also poor fine motor skills. The immune system also starts to break down. 

3. What is microsleep? 

Microsleeping is defined as a brief, involuntary sleep for some seconds. It sets in after 36 hours of sleep deprivation, and it makes accidents much more probable. 

4. How does sleep deprivation affect being able to stay in an emotionally stable state? 

The person becomes emotionally unstable after 24 hours of sleep deprivation. He feels irritable and reacts to different situations with higher-than-usual emotional responses. The amount of stress he can handle also decreases. After 36 hours, there are prominent conditions of anxiety, paranoia, and emotional outbursts. 

5. What cognitive impairments develop at 48 hours without sleep?

Cognitive function decelerates during this period, as well, specifically problem-solving, paying attention to things, and remembering them. This stage can also see hallucinations and delusional thinking in a state so that one can’t distinguish between reality and fantasy.