What Are the Signs of Sleep Deprivation?

Symptoms of sleep deprivation in adults include:

– Constant yawning
– Tendency to doze off when inactive, such as when watching television or listening to a lecture
– Grogginess when waking in the morning
– Sleepy grogginess experienced all day (sleep inertia)
– Poor concentration and mood changes (more irritable)

Another common sign of sleep deprivation is an impaired sense of judgment and an increased likelihood for accidents, including vehicular collisions. This is because sleep deprivation leads to a reduction in hand-eye coordination similar to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1.

While people may have different ideas of what sleep deprivation feels like, it is characterized by getting less than 7 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. The amount of sleep needed to feel refreshed and function well depends on the individual and varies based on age, but fewer than 7 hours of sleep each 24-hour period can cause compounding symptoms that worsen the longer this goes on. Reducing sleep time by even 1 hour can affect an individual’s thought process and reaction time the following day. When lack of sleep occurs regularly, it can lead to chronic fatigue, which can affect performance at work or school.

Yes, it is possible to recover from sleep deprivation; this is key to feeling and performing better. The ability to recover and the speed in which a person does so depends on the type of sleep deprivation that is present. Acute sleep deprivation, which occurs over a short amount of time, is actionable and easy to reverse once the individual makes up for the lost sleep. For example, if a person gets only 4.5 hours of sleep per night for a full week, just two full nights of recovery sleep can produce a dramatic boost in cognitive performance and mood.

Sleep deprivation, also known as sleeplessness or sleep deficiency, is the inability to get a full night of restorative sleep. Many factors contribute to our sleep routines, habits, and quality of sleep, which means there are a multitude of potential causes of sleep deficiency.

Sleep deprivation can be a result of psychological factors such as stress, anxiety or depression; it can also be caused by environmental factors, such as a sensitivity to light and sound. While sleep deprivation is not itself a disease or disorder, it can be brought on by other illnesses or sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy or insomnia. Furthermore, intense or chronic pain can also prevent people from getting a good night’s rest.

With age, people are more likely to suffer from sleeping problems, partly due to factors like illness, medications, shifts in the circadian rhythm that occur with age, or a primary sleep disorder.

If you are not getting enough sleep and are experiencing physical and mental symptoms as a result, come to Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders to discover how you can improve your quality of sleep. Call us today to book an appointment with our sleep team, or visit one of our locations: we serve patients from all across the United States, and have clinics in Mishawaka IN, Bloomington IL, Peoria – Dunlap IL, Kansas City MO, Wausau WI and El Paso TX. We look forward to serving you!