Lack of sleep does not necessarily have a minimum required level. Just not getting enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation , ideal sleep is between 7-9 hours a day for adults. Therefore, sleeping less than this number of hours for an extended period of time would mean that we are sleep deprived, unless it is in the small percentage of the population considered “short sleepers”.
We must not forget that lack of sleep can cause accidents . The 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, for example, was a major factor in this recent disaster. But sleep loss is also a huge danger to public safety every day … on the road. Drowsiness can delay reaction time as much as drunk driving.
Studies show that sleep loss and poor quality sleep also lead to workplace accidents and injuries on the job . In addition, those who sleep little, also take more sick days due to accidents.
If you’ve ever spent a night tossing and turning, you already know how you’ll feel the next day: tired, irritable, and in a pretty bad mood. But science has shown us that not having the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep at night has far more consequences than making you feel groggy and grumpy – the impact on our health can be devastating.
Continual lack of sleep has been closely associated with hypertension, heart attacks and strokes, obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety, decreased brain function, memory loss, a weakened immune system, lower fertility rates, and psychiatric disorders. .
Considering that there is no universal definition of “sleep deprivation” , but rather that a person is considered sleep deprived if they sleep less than they need to feel awake and alert, according to experts, there are people who can be harmed physical and psychological from not getting enough sleep.
Let us remember that sleep deprivation has been used at some moments in history as an instrument of torture.
The long-term effects of sleep deprivation are real.
