Sleep Deprivation Symptoms

Sleep deprivation symptoms are the first sign of a problem and shouldn't be overlooked. Getting adequate sleep allows your body to function properly and protects you from numerous illnesses. Sleep deprivation can be a symptom of a larger sleep disorder, such as insomnia, which if left untreated can lead to potentially fatal illnesses.

Sleep deprivation studies can shed light on the problem.

Sleep deprivation is a lack of regular sleep that allows you to wake rested and energized. Doctors recommend at least six hours of sleep per night, most nights of the week. Anything else allows your body to remain vulnerable. Spot the sleep deprivation symptoms and take action to correct them as soon as possible. Symptoms include:

• Poor ability to fall asleep
• A racing mind, your inability to stop thinking at bedtime
• Drowsiness throughout the day
• Daytime sleepiness, overwhelming needs to go to sleep during the day
• Easily waking at night
• Irritability, anxiety and the inability to focus on tasks or thoughts
• Clumsiness
• Decreased energy levels

Within just two full days of little to no sleep, you will see the results of a lack of sleep. A person who has had little to no sleep for two consecutive days, may be impaired the same as a person with a blood alcohol level of .05, a level many states consider intoxicated.

Teens are often susceptible to sleep deprivation but may hide it well from parents. In some situations, teens consider not sleeping a sign of strength, but it can pose deadly consequences especially for those driving in this condition. Spotting the symptoms in teens is more difficult to do than with adults but are usually present. Symptoms can include:

• Falling grades, lack of interest in activities they once enjoyed
• Irritability, anxiety and depression without another cause
• Poor performance physically in sports or other activities
• Poor diet and exercise habits
• Sleeping off schedule (naps in the afternoon are considered normal, but constant sleepiness is not)
• Make avoidable mistakes

Sleep deprivation in teens is often caused by poor lifestyle choices and sleep patterns, but sleeping disorders are common in teens, too. Prolonged sleep deprivation, lasting more than a few times per week, should come to your family doctor's attention.

All people are able to suffer from sleep deprivation. Without enough rest, the brain is unable to get the rest it needs to perform properly, which causes several types of physiological problems for the patient. Concentration, general alertness and limited memory are the most common problems, which lead to a number of other symptoms including:

• Not able to think creatively
• Irritated with other people and self
• Unable to focus on the task on hand
• Unable to solve problems

Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to paranoia, delusions and hallucinations.

The physical body also suffers from sleep deprivation. These symptoms may be more obvious to the bystander. Even basic tasks usually done without problem are difficult for a sleep deprived individual to manage. Symptoms of sleep deprivation in individuals on the physical sense are often smaller at first, but intensify quickly especially with prolonged lack of sleep. For example:

• Work related accidents in tasks which are normally accomplished
• Falling or tripping often
• Inability to react quickly to needs
• Inability to handle objects correctly, often thinking of them as too heavy or hard to pick up suddenly

In prolonged cases of sleep deprivation, the onset of diseases and illnesses can also signal a sleep disorder. Patients who regularly get less sleep than needed are prone to heart disease, cancers and diabetes. In some patients who always get low levels of sleep, families or doctors don’t realize the problem until these diseases begin to present themselves.

Sleep deprivation is a health risk needing medical attention especially when a change in lifestyle doesn't improve it. Sleep disorders such as insomnia are treatable by medication and by addressing the underlying causes. The benefits of treating a sleep disorder are well worth the time it takes to get help.

If you are unsure about your conditions, seek out medical help from your family doctor who will investigate the problem with you. You can find doctor's specializing in sleep disorders at the National Sleep Foundation website.

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