Sleep Deprivation--A Silent Killer

The National Sleep Foundation estimates that sleep deprivation costs Americans more than $100 billion every year in lost productivity, sick leave, and property damage. Not having enough sleep, whether it is chronic or acute, causes fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. Most importantly it adversely affects the brain and cognitive functioning.

The body’s alertness, memory, performance, and mood all depend upon getting adequate sleep. This amount of sleep varies from person to person but in general is considered between seven and eight hours per night. Not consistently getting that amount over time can impair your thinking as much as alcohol.

The habitual lack of sleep creates changes in your ability to think and function. It negatively impacts judgment, reaction time and memory. A recent study in the British Medical Journal showed that people who drove after being awake for 17–19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent. Another study suggested that performance begins to degrade after 16 hours awake, and 21 hours awake was equivalent to a blood alcohol content of .08 percent, which is the blood alcohol limit for drunk driving in the U.S.

Chronic sleep deprivation is the lack of sleep that is long lasting or recurrent. Lapses in memory and attention build up over time with chronic sleep deprivation. This lapse is further compounded since it is insidious; people rate themselves less impaired than they actually are. These evaluations often lead to false conclusions about the ability to perform tasks that require constant attention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 car crashes are caused by drowsiness every year—a drowsiness most people behind the wheel deny.

Fatigue related human error can be devastating. Due partially to pilot fatigue, the FAA is reviewing its pilot rest policy as a reaction to the February 2009 crash of a regional jet in Buffalo, NY which killed 50 people. A 2004 study also found medical residents with less than four hours of sleep a night made more than twice as many errors as residents who slept for more than seven hours a night. Additionally, you are more likely to have health problems such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Some tips for preventing sleep deprivation:

• Take time for sleep. This should have the highest priority in your schedule. Your physical and mental recovery is dependent upon it.
• Build a sleep regime. This includes a regular sleep schedule, a healthy diet and exercise program, avoiding late afternoon caffeine and drinking alcohol above moderation.
• If your sleep deprivation is chronic, seek help with a physician. Most sleep disorders can be controlled once diagnosed.
• One night of recovery sleep can reverse adverse effects of total sleep deprivation. Recovery sleep is more efficient than normal sleep with increased amounts of deep and REM sleep.