How a Lack of Sleep Can Eventually Kill You

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8 Min Read

Telvinder Singh (Guest Contributor), Ailyn Low, (Editor)
IN THIS ARTICLE

Staying up late isn’t just impacting the sleep you’re getting that night, it’s impacting your health in the long run.

 

Did you know that the Guinness Book of World Records has stopped recognising the attempts to break the longest sleep deprivation record? Know that this is the same book that allows a man to hold 13 live rattlesnakes in his mouth. 

 

But the risks associated with sleep deprivation are considered to be far worse than that. Reading Dr. Matthew Walkers’ best-selling and critically acclaimed book, Why We Sleep, gave me a rude awakening (pun-intended) on how sleep really affects us in every aspect. Here are my thoughts on it.

 

Everyone is guilty of staying up later than they should, me included. After all doesn't it feel like the early a.m.’s are the only time where we truly have to ourselves? Where the world is quiet and we can just exist?

 

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) stipulates a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night for the average adult and anything lower than that increases your risk of mortality. What’s worse is that a lot of the risks aren’t noticeable until it becomes severe or too late.

Let me start by telling a true story of Peter Tripp.

 

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Brain, Mental Health, and Physical Health

In January 1959, an American radio DJ by the name of Peter Tripp decided to stay awake for 8 days straight as a publicity stunt to raise money for charity. He placed himself in a glass booth in the middle of Times Square so that onlookers and passersbys can observe and pledge money to the cause.

 

Several doctors and psychologists agreed to stay with and monitor him during the entirety of the event to ensure that he was safe. This also provided the psychologists a good opportunity for research since this length of wakefulness has never been attempted nor recorded before.

By the second day of wakefulness, Tripp who was normally known as a cheerful person, started getting angry very easily and swearing at the people he knew. 

 

After 5 days of wakefulness, he started having terrible hallucinations.

 

He saw people who weren’t there, spiders crawling in and out of his shoes, and cobwebs on people’s faces. In one particular instance, when he went to a nearby hotel room to change and opened a drawer for his clothes, he saw flames shooting out of the drawer and believed that the scientists set the fire in an attempt to sabotage him.

 

By day 8, he couldn’t differentiate between reality and delusion, he started doubting if he even was Peter Tripp, and started telling everyone around him that he wasn’t Peter Tripp, even though they all knew he was.

 

Eventually, he stayed awake for the whole 8 days, and after the event ended he slept for 22 hours straight. However… It doesn’t end there. The participation in this event had long term consequences. After the charity event, Tripp lost his job, divorced his wife, and was rarely heard from ever again.

 

The reason I’m telling this story shows the extent sleep deprivation has over a person and the irreversible and long lasting damage to one’s cognitive and behavioural functioning.

Tips for Better Sleep and Long-Term Health

So far everything I’ve mentioned has been pretty morbid, but it’s not all doom and gloom! To end on a positive note, here are a few best tips for getting that much-needed, healthy and sufficient sleep.

 

1. Take a hot shower before bed

 

Trouble getting to sleep? Having a hot shower before your bed might help. The drop in your body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy. Plus, what’s better than a hot bath that can help you relax after a long day? It’ll definitely help get you in the mood for some well-deserved sleep.

 

2. Don’t take naps after 3 p.m.

 

Having a little midday siesta might be just the thing for you to give you a recharge throughout your day. While this is true and naps can help make up for lost sleep, late afternoon naps, or ones closer to your bedtime, can make it harder to fall asleep at night. So if you do need a quick snooze in, remember to do it before 3 p.m.!

 

3. Avoid large meals and beverages late at night

 

This may be a hard one being Malaysians — land of the foodies and midnight mamak sessions. But a heavy supper close to our bedtime might be the unhealthy habit we should keep aside. A light snack is okay, but a large meal can cause indigestion, which interferes with sleep. Consider a strict cut-off time for heavier meals instead!

 

4. Keep your bedroom cool if possible

Did you know that your body temperature drops when you’re about to sleep and continues to cool down when you’re asleep? Probably not a surprise to anyone but you’d sleep better if the temperature in the room is kept on the cool, but optimal side to help regulate your body temperature.

 

5. Have the right sunlight exposure

 

Speaking of body temperature, being exposed to sunlight during the day also helps you to regulate it. Sleep experts recommend that, if you’ve problems falling asleep, you should get an hour of exposure to morning sunlight and turn down the lights before bedtime as daylight is key in regulating daily sleep pattern.

 

Still having trouble sleeping? Here are some extra tips you can try out the next time you find yourself tossing and turning.

 

Humans have evolved throughout the millennia by discarding functions that are no longer required for us and have adapted to environments to ensure our survival. Yet, evolution has mandated that the process of sleep has stayed with us through millions of years, which only speaks testament to how important this life-supporting function is to our survivability. 

 

So, before you decide to burn the midnight oil to finish that piece of assignment, work, or even Netflix series, might I remind you the damage you’re doing to yourself?
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