Sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is a state of getting less sleep than the body needs, whether from a single short night or from chronic restriction over weeks.

Acute sleep deprivation follows one or more nights of little or no sleep, while chronic sleep restriction describes habitually sleeping fewer hours than needed, a far more common pattern among adults who work long hours, care for others or use screens late at night. Common causes include work schedules, shift work, new parenthood, untreated sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea, pain that interrupts sleep, and voluntary late bedtimes.

Typical features are daytime sleepiness, slowed reaction time, poor concentration and memory, irritability and low mood, and a higher rate of errors and accidents. Over the longer term, insufficient sleep is associated with changes in appetite hormones, blood pressure, glucose regulation and immune function. It is assessed by sleep history and diaries, questionnaires such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and sometimes actigraphy or laboratory sleep studies. Sleep deprivation is distinct from insomnia, in which a person has the opportunity to sleep but cannot. Research on cannabinoids and sleep is early and does not address deprivation directly; the underlying cause and sleep habits are the usual focus of assessment.