fbpx
Header burger open
Search Logo

Jump To

Currently Viewing:

Last Updated on March 29, 2024

Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

a profile image of TSA author Alex

Written By Alex Petroviฤ‡

Certified Sleep Consultant

Featured image for Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?
Sleep is somewhat mysterious. Why do we dream, why do we need as much sleep as we do, do all living things sleep in the same way, and can you die from lack of sleep? We'll be answering that last question today!

We've all pulled all-nighters at some point. And while it might not seem like a big deal while you're in university, it's obvious that your body isn't thrilled with your choices. You often experience daytime fatigue the following morning, you don't have any energy, and you might even start seeing things that aren't there.

But can you die from lack of sleep? Well, yes and no. And if that answer has piqued your interest, keep reading, as we'll cover everything you need to know about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation.

Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

Featured image for Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

We've all pulled all-nighters at some point. And while it might not seem like a big deal while you're in university, it's obvious that your body isn't thrilled with your choices. You often experience daytime fatigue the following morning, you don't have any energy, and you might even start seeing things that aren't there.

But can you die from lack of sleep? Well, yes and no. And if that answer has piqued your interest, keep reading, as we'll cover everything you need to know about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation.

Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

Featured image for Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

We've all pulled all-nighters at some point. And while it might not seem like a big deal while you're in university, it's obvious that your body isn't thrilled with your choices. You often experience daytime fatigue the following morning, you don't have any energy, and you might even start seeing things that aren't there.

But can you die from lack of sleep? Well, yes and no. And if that answer has piqued your interest, keep reading, as we'll cover everything you need to know about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation.

And while this might already seem pretty bad, this isn't the end of it. In fact, these are the milder symptoms. But if you're suffering from severe sleep deprivation, the following symptoms can start popping up:

And it's worth keeping in mind that these are just the symptoms of total sleep deprivation. In other words, we still aren't done. After all, there's a difference between not sleeping two nights in a row and consistently getting 4 hours of sleep over the span of a few years.

Symptoms of sleep deficiency

As we've mentioned, there's a difference between not sleeping for a few nights and when it's a long-term problem. So, when you have chronic sleep deprivation or some other form of sleep deficiency, here are the potential symptoms:

And, all of these conditions can be fatal in certain situations. However, sleep loss on this level isn't too common and the thing that gets you in the end is indirect. But can complete or partial sleep deprivation directly kill someone?

Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

Featured image for Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

We've all pulled all-nighters at some point. And while it might not seem like a big deal while you're in university, it's obvious that your body isn't thrilled with your choices. You often experience daytime fatigue the following morning, you don't have any energy, and you might even start seeing things that aren't there.

But can you die from lack of sleep? Well, yes and no. And if that answer has piqued your interest, keep reading, as we'll cover everything you need to know about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation.

So, in this way, you don't have to get a cardiovascular disease in order to be put in danger from sleep deprivation. However, while sleep deprivation increases the odds of fatal accidents, we still can't claim that it can directly kill someone.

What about the Russian Sleep Experiment?

When talking about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation, those who were around in the early days of the internet might remember the Russian Sleep Experiment. The story went that five people were forced to stay awake for five entire days, after being exposed to a gas that renders them unable to fall asleep.

However, within a few weeks, the five men had seemingly lost their minds and both their mental and physical health had completely deteriorated. However, has any of this actually happened?

Well, from what we could find, it seems very unlikely. However, that doesn't mean that scientists haven't tried similar experiments on animals. And if you really love animals, this might seem just as gruesome as the original experiment. So, skip the following paragraph if you don't want to read about animals being harmed.

Extreme sleep deprivation in animals

Even a quick Google search will show you that scientists have been examining the consequences of poor sleep in animals for quite some time. For example, while they didn't experiment on humans, a Russian scientist did look at how inadequate sleep affected puppies. And they concluded that a complete absence of sleep was fatal in their test subjects.

With that being said, this experiment was carried out in the late 1800s, so, the tools they had at their disposal were less than ideal. We can, however, see a more modern experiment of a similar nature done by Harvard.

And don't worry, no puppies were harmed this time around. Rather, they looked at sleep-deprived fruit flies. And the conclusion was rather fascinating. Namely, they found that what killed the flies wasn't the lack of sleep itself but rather a spike in the concentration of ROS molecules in the gut.

And this was far from a guess. This is because, when given something to neutralise the ROS levels, the fruit flies continued flying around even after days with no sleep! So, it would seem that lost sleep is only connected to our gut. However, more research needs to be done.

What about Fatal Familial Insomnia?

Although not nearly as popular as the Russian Sleep Experiment, some of you might have also heard of the condition Fatal Familial Insomnia. And since it has both the words fatal and insomnia, we wouldn't judge you for assuming it was a death caused by a lack of sleep.

However, that is not the case. FFI is an extremely rare disorder that makes it so that the person affected has a lot of difficulty falling asleep. It usually starts off as mild insomnia but can get worse over time. And while there is no cure, seeing a sleep specialist can help ease some of the symptoms.

Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

Featured image for Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

We've all pulled all-nighters at some point. And while it might not seem like a big deal while you're in university, it's obvious that your body isn't thrilled with your choices. You often experience daytime fatigue the following morning, you don't have any energy, and you might even start seeing things that aren't there.

But can you die from lack of sleep? Well, yes and no. And if that answer has piqued your interest, keep reading, as we'll cover everything you need to know about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation.

Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

Featured image for Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

We've all pulled all-nighters at some point. And while it might not seem like a big deal while you're in university, it's obvious that your body isn't thrilled with your choices. You often experience daytime fatigue the following morning, you don't have any energy, and you might even start seeing things that aren't there.

But can you die from lack of sleep? Well, yes and no. And if that answer has piqued your interest, keep reading, as we'll cover everything you need to know about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation.

And so on. Therefore, it can be difficult to avoid sleep deficiency for some people. Even just avoiding sleep debt (which is a lot milder) can be tough! And it's not like you can just snap your fingers and stop Restless Leg Syndrome or suddenly not feel stressed.

That's why it's so important to know what you're dealing with and to consult a professional when things start going sideways. So, even if you're currently fine, read up on sleep hygiene and see whether you're getting the most optimal sleep that you can!

Conclusion

It's no secret that sleep is very important. It helps our brain develop and a lack of sleep can cause certain cognitive issues. And as we've now learned, a lack of sleep can actually affect an animal's gut and lead to premature death! However, can you die from lack of sleep? Only indirectly.

Spread the word

Recommended reading:

Comments (0)

There are no comments yet

About the author

Alex Petroviฤ‡
Sleep Consultant
A CPD certified Sleep Consultant with more than 2000 hours of research into all the different ways we can get a great night's sleep. As a former insomniac, I know how difficult life can be without a nightly recovery and I love that I get to share everything I've learned with you all. So hopefully we can all sleep soundly!
Don't Miss Out!
Get the latest reviews, special offers, new releases and moreโ€ฆ
@thesleepadvisors
'The Luxe Cooling Mattress' by @emmasleepuk  is award-winning!

Tried and Tested by The Sleep Advisors, we've awarded them the 'Best Mattress for Side Sleepers'๐Ÿ†

Click the link in the bio for more ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿฅธ

#thesleepadvisorsuk #awardwinningmattress #emmasleepuk  #mattressreviews
'Award Winning Softness' by @hypniauk 

Tried and Tested by The Sleep Advisors, we've awarded them the 'Best Soft Mattress'๐Ÿ†

Click the link in bio to read the full review ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿฅธ

#thesleepadvisorsuk #awardwinningmattress #hypnia #mattressreviews

#
The Sleep Advisors cover all the benefits of Panda Products ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿผ

Click the link in the bio for more๐Ÿ”—

#ษชษดsแด›แด€ส€แด‡แด‡สŸs #instareelsdaily #PandaMattress #thesleepadvisorsuk
The awards continue! @silentnightbeds 'Just Breathe Eco Comfort' receives one today ๐Ÿฅณ

Tried and Tested by The Sleep Advisors, we've awarded them the 'Best Pocket Sprung Mattress'๐Ÿ†

#thesleepadvisors #silentnightbeds #thesleepadvisors #comfortmattress
Details are key for TheSleepAdvisors... especially for those close-ups ๐Ÿ‘

We look at every nook and cranky to capture every detail when reviewing mattress and bedding๐ŸŽฅ

For our Latest reviews head over to our website via the link in the bio ๐Ÿ”—

#thesleepadvisors #mattressreview #thesleepadvisorsuk
If you want Luxury check out @nectarsleep Premier Hybrid Mattress!๐Ÿ˜Ž

Tried and Tested by The Sleep Advisors, we've awarded them the 'Best Luxury Mattress'๐Ÿ†

Click the link in bio to read the full review ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿฅธ

#thesleepadvisorsuk #awardwinningmattress #nectarsleep #mattressreviews
We know how hard it is to find the best mattress online!๐Ÿง

Don't worry, The Sleep Advisors are here to solve your problem and it has never been easier to compare mattresses thanks to our Mattress Comparison Tool!

Click the Link in our bio to find the mattress brand that suits your individual needs ๐Ÿคฉ
For all your bedding needs, TheSleepAdvisors have you covered! ๐Ÿ˜

From Price to Quality, we look at all aspects to enable you to make the best purchase for your needs.

#ษชษดsแด›แด€ส€แด‡แด‡สŸs #instareels #sleepadvisorsuk #BeddingEssentials #TheSleepAdvisors
Sent an embarrassing text? Just say you were asleep ๐Ÿ˜†

Turns out, our brains can get so wired even while catching Z's that we end up sending messages without even waking up! 

 #funfacts #sleepadvisors #TheSleepAdvisors  #DidYouKnow #DidYouKnowThis
Mattress Toppers are key! ๐Ÿ”‘  They can bring your mattress to life. Want to learn more? 

The Sleep Advisors have got you covered!๐Ÿ˜Ž

#ษชษดsแด›แด€ส€แด‡แด‡สŸs #instareelsdaily #instareels #sleepadvisorsuk #reelsofinstagram #MATTRESSTOPPERS
Close button

Don't Miss Out!

Get the latest reviews, special offers, new releases and moreโ€ฆ

By submitting this form, you are opting into our mailing lists.
See our privacy policy.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.