Many of us aren’t getting enough sleep. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least one in three Americans say they don’t get the recommended seven to eight hours of shuteye per night. [1] This lack of sufficient sleep—known as sleep deprivation—can have serious consequences for your health.
How do you know if you’re actually suffering from sleep deprivation—and what can you do to get your sleep back on track? Keep reading for everything you need to know about sleep deprivation, including causes, symptoms, and how to treat it.
What is sleep deprivation?
Simply put, sleep deprivation when you don’t get enough sleep or you don’t get quality sleep. [2] It can lead to an overall diminished well-being.
“It’s a level of sleep loss that causes a disruption to your body’s natural rhythms, and when it gets bad enough, impairs your ability to simply function and go about your day,” explains Todd Anderson, co-founder and chief brand officer of Dream Performance & Recovery.
Sleep deprivation is like “running on empty,” adds Anderson. “It drains your energy, fogs your mind, and leaves your body struggling to keep up.”
Over time, this lack of rest can take a serious toll on your health, weakening your immune system, slowing down your metabolism, and even impacting your mood and decision-making, he says.
Causes of sleep deprivation
“Sleep deprivation is often caused by the person themselves not getting enough sleep, such as college students pulling an all-nighter to study,” says Cyrus Haghighian, MD, board-certified sleep doctor at Los Angeles Center for Ear, Nose, Throat, and Allergy.
Additionally, if you have chronic insomnia, or difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, that might cause you to not be getting a sufficient amount of sleep,” adds Haghighian. [3]
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, besides having an irregular schedule or suffering from insomnia, some of the other main causes of sleep deprivation include: [4]
- Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome
- Health conditions such as depression, chronic pain, cancer, or Alzheimer’s
- Being over age 65
- Experiencing life changes such as having a baby
Sleep deprivation symptoms
If you’re going about your day feeling tired and low energy, there’s a chance you may be suffering from sleep deprivation. But that’s only a part of the larger picture.
“Excessive daytime sleepiness, or hypersomnia, is a very common symptom if someone is not getting enough sleep,” says Haghighian.
You may also experience symptoms like impaired memory and learning, especially in the short term. [4]
“Behavioral issues may arise in children that are not getting enough sleep,” adds Haghighian. “In adults, mood disorders such as anxiety and depression can result from not getting enough sleep.”
How to treat sleep deprivation
There are a few things you can do to improve your nighttime routine and hopefully get more—and better—rest as a result. To help ease sleep deprivation, try the following.
- Create a routine: This is where good sleep hygiene comes into play. “Stick to a regular sleep schedule, develop a calming bedtime wind down, and ensure your sleep environment is comfortable,” says Anderson.
- Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This is a deliberately targeted approach to changing thoughts and habits that disrupt sleep. [5] “I find daily stresses cause many issues with sleep, so therapy is a great way to create a stress management plan,” says Anderson.
- Practice stress management: Anxiety and stress can keep you up at night. [6] “Use techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness to lower anxiety and encourage relaxation,” suggests Anderson.
- Incorporate exercise: Getting regular exercise can help your body relax at the end of the day. [7] “Engage in regular physical activity to improve sleep quality,” says Anderson. “Exercise is net positive for sleep in all forms.”
- Seek medical attention: If at-home remedies don’t work after a couple of weeks, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider to determine if an underlying condition is to blame for your sleep deprivation.
FAQs
Can you recover from sleep deprivation?
Yes, you can recover from sleep deprivation. It requires improving your routine and sleep hygiene and getting more and better quality sleep with fewer disruptions. If at-home remedies don’t work, you may need to see a medical professional to find out what the underlying cause of your sleep deprivation is.
How do doctors deal with sleep deprivation?
Doctors diagnose and treat sleep deprivation in a variety of ways with different levels of intervention. They’ll usually start with self-care such as changing sleep habits and bedtime routines before going the medication route.
How long does it take to make up for a sleep deficit?
Studies have shown it can take around four days to recover from just one night’s lost sleep. [8]
Looking for more ways to improve your sleep so you can get over your sleep deprivation? Check out our ultimate guide to how to sleep better.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About Sleep and Your Heart Health. https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/sleep-and-heart-health.html
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency? https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation
- Cleveland Clinic. Sleep Deprivation. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23970-sleep-deprivation
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Sleep Deprivation. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sleep-deprivation
- Walker, J., Muench, A., Perlis, M. L., & Vargas, I. (2022). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): A Primer. Clinical psychology and special education, 11(2), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2022110208
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Sleepless Nights? Try Stress Relief Techniques. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/sleepless-nights-try-stress-relief-techniques
- Alnawwar, M. A., Alraddadi, M. I., Algethmi, R. A., Salem, G. A., Salem, M. A., & Alharbi, A. A. (2023). The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus, 15(8), e43595. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43595
- Kitamura, S., Katayose, Y., Nakazaki, K., Motomura, Y., Oba, K., Katsunuma, R., Terasawa, Y., Enomoto, M., Moriguchi, Y., Hida, A., & Mishima, K. (2016). Estimating individual optimal sleep duration and potential sleep debt. Scientific reports, 6, 35812. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep35812