Most of us will be all too familiar with that dopey, groggy feeling of being tired after a restless night. Some social media users have taken tiredness to the extreme, however, by taking part in what they call a “no-sleep challenge.”
Author
Adam Taylor
Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre, Lancaster University
One 19-year-old Youtuber, Norme, live streamed his attempt to break a world record for consecutive days without sleep. At the 250-hour mark, viewers about Norme’s health and wellbeing but he eventually finished with a “no sleep” time of 264 hours and 24 minutes.
Norme’s attempt earned him bans from social media platforms . But, despite his claims to have beaten the world record, his ordeal was not enough to beat the last Guinness World Record holder Robert Mcdonald, who racked up – almost 19 days! – in 1986.
In 1997, Guinness World Records stopped monitoring the record for the longest time without sleep for safety reasons – and they were quite right. Going without sleep for extended periods of time can prove extremely dangerous.
Adults should aim for more than on a regular basis. Chronic inability to get sufficient sleep is associated with increased risk of such as depression, diabetes, obesity, heart attack, hypertension and stroke.
Sleep is an important part of our daily routine. It enables many of our bodily systems to rest and focus on .
During the first three stages of sleep, the – which regulates rest and digestion – takes control. This reduces .
In the final stage, the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, – this stage is key to cognitive functions such as creativity, learning and memory. or consumption prior to bed can disturb these sleep cycles.
Sleep deprivation can be acute or chronic. can happen over a day or two.
While it may seem like a short period of time, can cause a greater degree of than being just over the drink-drive limit. Symptoms of acute sleep deprivation can include puffy eyes or , and .
During the second day without sleep, symptoms increase in intensity and behavioural changes occur, as well as a further decline in cognitive functions. The body’s need for sleep becomes stronger causing “microsleeps” – lasting around 30 seconds.
The body’s need for food increases as well as physiological responses such as and , making us more susceptible to illness.
The third 24-hour period can trigger a desperate urge to sleep, increasing likelihood of longer microsleeps, – feelings of detachment from reality – and . Once into day four of sleeplessness, all symptoms become much worse progressing to where you’re unable to interpret reality and possess a painful desire to sleep.
Recovery from sleep deprivation varies from person to person, with a solid overnight sleep being enough for some to recover. For others it can take days or weeks.
However, that recovery sleep often doesn’t reverse the metabolic changes that can cause weight gain and a decrease in insulin sensitivity, even from relatively short periods of sleep deprivation.
Shift workers can be continually sleep deprived. Night shift workers typically average one-to-four hours’ than people whose work time falls within daylight hours – and this can increase their .
In fact many studies have shown too little sleep is associated with an . But too much sleep has also been associated with an .
It’s best for health, then, to avoid the social media challenges and instead opt for to get your seven-to-nine hours of quality shut-eye. Your body will thank you for it.
