Can You Die from Sleep Deprivation? Facts and Myths

One of hundreds of articles written for Pillow, a sleep-tracking app with a blog focused on sleep-related content, from health connections to tips for improving sleep.

Discussions regarding how little sleep you got the night before are an all-too-common topic when congregating with others, but this sleep deprivation can be harmful to your health. Still, the commonality of sleep deprivation has caused myths to emerge as a coping mechanism, such as “your body gets used to running on less sleep.” Unfortunately, these myths may be feeding into poor sleep habits and leaving you under-performing without your knowledge.      There are also myths at the opposite end of the spectrum, making one night of sleep deprivation something to fear. When looking at the facts, though, it’s clear that while long-term sleep deprivation can be harmful, every night you have the power to take back control. 

Sleep deprivation occurs when you do not get enough sleep. It can have many causes, including work or lifestyle factors, sleep disorders, or stress and anxiety.     Not getting enough sleep can significantly affect your daytime functioning—reduced reaction times, poor concentration, and altered mood can all occur as a result of sleep deprivation. Children, in particular, may see their academic performance and behavior plummet as a result of too little sleep.     If sleep deprivation becomes a chronic occurrence, it can negatively affect your brain, metabolic, and immune health.     Signs of chronic sleep deprivation include: 

Daytime tiredness, especially when you’re inactive, such as sitting in a meeting or traffic 

Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or problem-solving 

Slower reaction times 

Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning 

Irritability 

Issues with learning and memory  Anxiety 

Trouble managing emotions 

When it comes to sleep, there are a plethora of myths passed around as fact. However, believing them can cause greater harm to your sleep and well-being, making knowledge your greatest weapon against sleep deprivation.  

While one night of sleep deprivation will come with some short-term effects, including daytime sleepiness, poor focus, and mood changes, they can typically be resolved with recovery sleep. Experimental research has shown that while performance on cognitive tasks declines in those subject to two nights of sleep deprivation, their performance returned to pre-deprivation levels once they were able to get enough sleep.     This evidence suggests that, while the adverse effects of sleep deprivation are strong, including an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, just one night of sleep deprivation will not produce these lasting concerns—the key is to immediately work on restoring sleep.  

If you’ve ever had a hard time falling asleep, perhaps you’ve believed that as long as you’re lying still, you’ll get the same benefits as you would while sleeping. However, this isn’t the case.     Research shows that cardiovascular, endocrine, cognitive, and metabolic functioning are significantly different between wakefulness and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. This suggests that there is a significant difference between lying awake and sleeping, and you may not be able to obtain the restorative effects while lying still that you can while sleeping.  

Many people believe this myth, but experts rate it as being not only very false but also a significant risk to public health. This is because chronic insufficient sleep is associated with risks to mental, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immunologic health.     There is a caveat, though; there is evidence that there may be a short sleeper phenotype, which makes it so that people with these genes do not need as much sleep each night. However, these individuals represent the minority—most adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep each night.  

This myth is also a burden to public health, not least of all because, while you will note sleepiness for the first few days of sleep deprivation, after a certain point, you no longer notice any increasing sleepiness. This can lead you to believe that you are no sleepier, even though studies show that, even after weeks of sleep deprivation, the body still sees sustained decreases in performance.     Overall, you may feel as though you are adjusting to consistent sleep debt, but your performance level and health will always tell the truth—you aren’t. Even more, evidence refutes the belief that the brain and body can learn to handle less sleep; they will always need the same amount of sleep, no matter how long you try to convince them otherwise.  

Sleep deprivation alone will not kill you. However, it’s important to keep in mind that habitual sleep deprivation can cause other effects that may increase your risk of accident or death.     First, not getting enough sleep can slow your reaction time and decision-making. If you’ve been awake for 24 hours, your performance is considered similar to that of someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.10%, which is considered too drunk to drive. As a result, if you were to get behind the wheel while this sleep-deprived, you may be unable to respond to the other motorists on the road, potentially leading to an accident.     Additionally, continual sleep deprivation can take its toll on your health. It can deplete your immune system, making you more likely to catch an infection, cause metabolic disorders such as diabetes or obesity, and increase your risk of cardiovascular concerns such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Any of these conditions may be life-threatening.     As such, sleep deprivation will not kill you, but it can create a state where your health becomes in jeopardy, which is why you must ensure you get enough sleep each night.     The exception to this fact is a condition called fatal insomnia, in which someone experiences a progressive inability to sleep that can last for months before ending in death. However, the condition, which is rare, also negatively affects brain cells, so it remains unclear if the lack of sleep is the direct cause of death.  

If you’re having a hard time getting enough good quality sleep each night, these tips, which focus on improving sleep hygiene, can help you hit your sleep goals: 

Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day  Schedule in enough time for sleep 

Create a bedtime routine 

Optimize your sleep environment to be dark, cool, and quiet 

Limit screen time in the evening 

Get out of bed if you are struggling to fall asleep, and return only when you feel sleepy again 

Spend time outside during the day 

Avoid naps too close to bedtime 

Sleep deprivation can cause significant health concerns if it becomes a regular part of your life, which is why it is important to prioritize your sleep right away—the sooner you get your sleep back on track, the sooner your well-being will improve.