Most Useful Ranking List of Sleep disorders. Our top lists help you make informed choices quickly
Search results
Jan 15, 2022 · 4 min read. When it comes to sleep, can you have too much of a good thing? It's true a good night's sleep is essential for health. But oversleeping has been linked to a host of medical...
Dec 8, 2023 · Sleeping for over nine hours each night may be a sign of a sleep disorder, mental health disorder, or other health issue. Sleeping too much can negatively impact your immune system, mental health, heart health, and potentially lead to chronic diseases.
- Overview
- Sleep deprivation timeline
- How long does it take to recover
- Treatments
- Lifestyle tips
- When to see a doctor
- The bottom line
Sleep deprivation can occur after just 24 hours of no sleep. However, the longer you spend awake, the more severe — and less tolerable — symptoms become.
People need sleep to survive. Sleep allows your body to repair itself and perform essential biological functions. Adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. But sometimes, work and lifestyle factors may disrupt your ability to sleep.
When you get less sleep than needed or no sleep at all, it’s called sleep deprivation.
For most people, a short bout of sleep deprivation isn’t a cause for concern. But frequent or prolonged sleep deprivation can cause serious health issues.
Lack of sleep can lead to poor cognitive function, increased inflammation, and reduced immune function. If sleep deprivation continues, it may increase your risk for chronic disease.
In general, there are five stages of sleep deprivation. The stages are usually divided into 12-hour or 24-hour increments. The symptoms usually get worse the longer you stay awake.
Stage 1: After 24 hours
It’s common to miss 24 hours of sleep. It also won’t cause major health problems, but you can expect to feel tired and “off.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 24-hour sleep deprivation is the same as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent. That’s higher than the limit to legally drive. Staying awake for 24 hours may cause symptoms like: •drowsiness •irritability •anger •increased risk of stress •decreased alertness •impaired concentration •brain fog •fatigue •tremors •reduced coordination •increased risk of mistakes or accidents •food cravings •puffy eyes •dark undereye circles
Stage 2: After 36 hours
When you miss 36 hours of sleep, your symptoms become more intense. You’ll have an overwhelming urge to sleep. You may start to have microsleeps, or brief periods of sleep, without realizing it. A microsleep usually lasts up to 30 seconds. Different parts of your brain will have a hard time communicating with each other. This severely impairs your cognitive performance, causing symptoms like: •impaired memory •difficulty learning new information •behavioral changes •impaired decision-making •difficulty processing social cues •slow reaction time •increased errors You’re also more likely to experience physical effects like: •increased appetite •increased inflammation •impaired immune function •extreme fatigue
Stage 3: After 48 hours
Missing sleep for 48 hours is known as extreme sleep deprivation. At this point, it’s even harder to stay awake. You’re more likely to have microsleeps. You might even begin to hallucinate. This occurs when you see, hear, or feel things that aren’t actually there. Other possible effects include: •depersonalization •anxiety •heightened stress levels •increased irritability •extreme fatigue
It’s possible to recover from sleep deprivation by sleeping more.
You can start by going to bed early rather than sleeping in late. It’s also a good idea to get at least 7 to 8 hours of rest each night. This will help your body get back on schedule.
It can take days or weeks to recover from a bout of sleep deprivation. Just 1 hour of sleep loss requires 4 days to recover.
The longer you’ve been awake, the longer it will take to get back on track.
The best treatment depends on how much sleep you’ve missed. Possible options include:
•Napping. If you’ve only lost a few hours of sleep, napping could reduce your symptoms. Avoid napping more than 30 minutes, which might disrupt your ability to sleep at night.
•Good sleep hygiene. Practicing healthy sleep habits is key to preventing and treating sleep deprivation.
•Over-the-counter sleep aids. Over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids are ideal for the occasional sleepless night. You can develop a tolerance to them, so it’s best to use them sparingly.
•Prescription sleeping pills. Your doctor may prescribe sleeping pills. But like OTC sleep aids, they can become less effective over time.
•Light therapy. If you have severe insomnia, your doctor might suggest light therapy. This treatment is designed to help reset your body’s internal clock.
Expose yourself to natural light
Natural light exposure helps normalize your body’s production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. This will regulate your body’s internal clock.
Get regular physical activity
Regular exercise will help you feel tired at night. Aim for at least 20 to 30 minutes each day. Try to work out at least 5 to 6 hours before bedtime. Exercising too late in the day might mess with your ability to sleep at night.
Avoid caffeine later in the day
If you drink caffeinated drinks, have your last cup before noon. It can take 6 hours for caffeine to wear off.
It’s normal to have the occasional sleepless night. But if you still have trouble sleeping after practicing good sleep hygiene, see a doctor.
Seek medical help if you:
•have difficulty falling asleep
•feel tired after getting enough sleep
•wake up several times at night
•experience microsleeps
The first stage of sleep deprivation occurs within 24 hours of missed sleep. Most people can tolerate this level of sleep loss.
But as sleep deprivation continues, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay awake. It also impairs your cognitive function and perception of reality.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) is a condition where people fall asleep repeatedly during the day. Check if it's hypersomnia. Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) is different from feeling tired all the time. If you have hypersomnia, you may: regularly nap during the day; fall asleep during the day; still sleep for long hours ...
Aug 15, 2018 · Yes, the researchers found a link between people who usually slept for longer than eight hours a night and their chances of having heart disease or dying prematurely. But they didn’t show...
Jun 15, 2023 · In most cases, people who oversleep (hypersomnia) are getting nine or more hours of sleep a night, for weeks at a time, and are still waking up feeling tired and out of sorts. “A common experience with oversleeping,” notes Dr. Drerup, “is that the more you sleep, the worse you feel.” Here are some other possible signs of oversleeping:
People also ask
What happens if you sleep over 9 hours a night?
Should you sleep more than 9 hours a night?
Does sleeping longer cause health problems?
Can sleeping longer a night cause heart disease?
What happens if you don't get enough sleep?
How long does insomnia last?
A few sleepless nights are usually nothing to worry about, but it can become an issue if a lack of sleep starts to affect your daily life. Learn more about signs you might be sleep deprived, common symptoms of insomnia and if poor sleep hygiene or sleep habits could be the reason.
