What happens if a person does not sleep. Stay up all night and survive the day? Easily! Waking during the day

If a person is deprived of sleep for 7 days, then starting from the 5th day there is a high risk of dying from lack of sleep - for example, from a heart attack due to hallucinations. This is how a person works - we need to recuperate after a day's work. During sleep, the subconscious is actively involved in the work, the information accumulated during the day is processed. The muscles of the body rest, the internal organs are calmly busy with their functioning, the consciousness is turned off. Why is it so important to go to bed at the right time, get enough sleep, and never deprive yourself of sleep for a long time? This is easy to understand if you follow what happens to a person suffering from insomnia for various reasons. The consequences are dire...

1st day
1 day without sleep is not much. Surely you will remember a situation when you did not have to go to bed for a whole day. Fatigue, poor memory and concentration, wandering attention, headache, indigestion - this is what is usually observed after a sleepless night. Memory and attention cannot function normally due to the fact that neocortex did not recover overnight. All systems in the body are connected, and therefore other organs react to lack of sleep. For health, 1 day cannot cause significant damage, but well-being is unpleasant.

2nd–3rd day
Violated not only attention, but also coordination of movements. frontal lobes of the brain they cannot work normally without proper rest, so you can forget about creative thinking. A person left without sleep for 3 days is in a state of nervous exhaustion. There may be a nervous tic, panic attacks. Appetite will increase, because in stress, the body will release a large amount of the hormone cortisol, which contributes to the unrestrained eating of food. I want fried, salty, spicy, and this despite the fact that the digestive system works poorly and haphazardly. Falling asleep, oddly enough, is very difficult - again due to overwork of the nervous system.

4th–5th day
Hallucinations are bound to come. A person will speak incoherently, poorly understand what is happening to him, solving the simplest problems will become unbearable for him. At the same time, irritability and anger will increase in proportion to the time spent without sleep. Parietal and prefrontal cortex will refuse to work, that's why all this is happening.

6th–7th day
American student Randy Gardner did not sleep for 11 days. Already on the 7th day, he behaved extremely strangely, experiencing the strongest hallucinations and showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The tremor of the limbs, the inability to think sensibly and the strongest paranoia are what he had to endure for the sake of a scientific experiment.

Among the causes of insomnia are nervous and muscular strain, pain syndrome and indigestion. Stuffiness, bright light, uncomfortable bed - that's what makes it difficult to fall asleep. Insomnia itself is considered the cause of many diseases, doctors say: if you want to recover, first get rid of insomnia. But it happens that a person does not sleep for several days on his own initiative - this may be due to work. In doing so, you must be aware of the consequences of failure in the normal mode of life. It is recommended to sleep at night, and not during the day, because in complete darkness the human body produces hormone melatonin. Melatonin prolongs youth, improves brain function, and protects a person from cancer. Sleep is a medicine that everyone needs.

Everyone, probably, at least once in their life, but one night did not sleep. Whether it was due to night parties that smoothly transition into the next day or preparation for the session, or was it a work necessity - usually, if possible, a person, if he has not slept all day, tries to catch up on the next night. But there are times when it is not possible to sleep 2 days in a row or even 3 days. Emergencies at work, time trouble at the session and you have to not sleep for 2-3 days. What happens if you don't sleep for a long time?

Sleep is the rest of the body, it is responsible for processing and storing information, restores immunity. Previously, lack of sleep was used as a torture to extort secrets. However, experts recently submitted a report to the US Senate that such testimony cannot be trusted, because in the absence of sleep, people hallucinate and sign false confessions.

If you do not sleep for 1 day, nothing terrible will happen. A single violation of the regime of the day will not lead to any serious consequences, unless of course you decide to spend the next day behind the wheel. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. For example, if a person is used to such a work schedule, when after the night shift there is still work during the day, then he will simply finish these hours the next night.

During the next day after a sleepless night, a person will feel drowsiness, which can be slightly relieved by a cup of coffee, fatigue, a slight deterioration in concentration and memory. Some feel a little chill. A person can suddenly fall asleep on public transport, sitting in line to the doctor, for example. The next night, there may be difficulty falling asleep, this is due to an excess of dopamine in the blood, but the sleep will be strong.

One thing is certain if you're wondering something like: what if you stay up all night the eve of your exam? There is only one answer - nothing good. A sleepless night does not contribute to the readiness of the brain for stress. The thought process, on the contrary, will become slower, intellectual abilities will decrease. Absent-mindedness and inattention are companions of a sleepy state. Of course, a person will look worse - the skin will be gray, bags under the eyes will appear, some puffiness of the cheeks.

Experts note that it is enough to skip only the first 24 hours of sleep and brain disorders begin. German researchers noted the appearance of symptoms of mild schizophrenia: a distorted sense of time, sensitivity to light, incorrect color perception, incoherent speech. The emotional background begins to change; the longer a person does not sleep, the more exaggerated emotions become, laughter is replaced by causeless sobs.

If you don't sleep for 2 nights in a row

Of course, situations may arise when you have to stay awake for 2 days in a row. This is a more difficult condition for the body, which can affect the work of internal organs and it will manifest itself not only in drowsiness, but also in the malfunction of the work, for example, of the gastrointestinal tract. From heartburn to diarrhea - the range of sensations experienced can be very diverse. At the same time, a person's appetite will increase (an obvious advantage will be given to salty and fatty foods) and the body, in response to stress, will start the function of producing hormones responsible for insomnia. Oddly enough, during this period, it will not be easy for a person to fall asleep, even with a great desire.
After 2 sleepless nights in the body, glucose metabolism is disturbed, the functioning of the immune system worsens. The person becomes more open to the effects of viruses.

After two sleepless nights, the strongest person will become:

• scattered;
• inattentive;
• his concentration will deteriorate;
• intellectual abilities will decrease;
• speech will become more primitive;
• coordination of movements will worsen.

If you don't sleep for 3 days

What happens if you don't sleep all night for 3 days in a row? The main sensations will be the same as after two sleepless days. Coordination of movements will be disturbed, speech will worsen, a nervous tic may appear. This condition is characterized by loss of appetite and mild nausea. The experimenter will have to constantly wrap himself up - he will have a chill, his hands will become cold. There may be such a state when the gaze is focused on a particular point and it becomes difficult to look away.

It must be said that under conditions of prolonged inability to sleep, a person begins to experience states of failure - when he turns off for a while and then comes to his senses again. This is not a superficial sleep, a person simply turns off the controlling parts of the brain. For example, he may not notice how he missed 3-5 stations in the subway, or when walking along the street, he may not remember how he passed the section of the path. Or suddenly completely forget about the purpose of the trip.

If you don't sleep for 4 days

What will remain of the human brain if you do not sleep for 4 days is not clear. After all, if you don’t sleep for a day, the ability to process information is already reduced by a third, two days of being awake will take 60% of a person’s mental abilities. After 4 days of not sleeping on the mental abilities of a person, even if he is 7 spans in the forehead, one cannot count, consciousness begins to get confused, severe irritability appears. Plus, there is a trembling of the limbs, a feeling of wadding of the body and the appearance is greatly deteriorating. The person becomes like an old man.

If you don't sleep for 5 days

If you don’t sleep for 5 days, hallucinations and paranoia will come to visit. Perhaps the onset of panic attacks - the most nonsense can serve as an occasion. During panic attacks, cold sweat appears, sweating becomes more frequent, and the heart rate rises. After 5 days without sleep, the work of important parts of the brain slows down, and neural activity weakens.

Serious violations will occur in the parietal zone, which is responsible for mathematical abilities and logic, so a person will hardly be able to add even 2 plus 2. In this situation, it is not at all surprising that if you do not sleep for so long, there will be problems with speech. Violations in the temporal lobe will provoke its incoherence, and hallucinations will begin to occur after the malfunction of the prefrontal cortex of the brain. These may be visual hallucinations similar to dreams or sound.

If you do not sleep for 6-7 days

Few people are capable of such an extreme experiment with their body. So let's see what happens if you don't sleep for 7 days. The person will become very strange and give the impression of a drug addict. It will be impossible to communicate with him. Some people who decided on this experiment developed Alzheimer's disease syndromes, severe hallucinations, and paranoid manifestations. The record holder for insomnia, a student from America, Randy Gardner, had a strong trembling of the limbs and he could not even perform the simplest addition of numbers: he simply forgot the task.

After 5 days without sleep, the body will experience the strongest stress of all systems., brain neurons become inactive, the heart muscle wears out, which is manifested by pain, immunity ceases to resist viruses due to the passivity of T-lymphocytes, the liver also begins to experience huge loads.

Oddly enough, after such a long state of not sleeping, all symptoms will disappear literally after the first 8 hours of sleep. That is, a person can oversleep for 24 hours after a long wakefulness, but even if he is awakened after 8 hours, the body will almost completely restore its functions. This, of course, is the case if the experiments with sleep are one-time. If you constantly force your body, not letting it rest for two or three days, then it will end with a whole bunch of diseases, including the cardiovascular and hormonal systems, the gastrointestinal tract and, of course, the psychiatric plan.

List of used literature:

• Kovrov G.V. (ed.) Brief guide to clinical somnology M: “MEDpress-inform”, 2018.
• Poluektov M.G. (ed.) Somnology and sleep medicine. National leadership in memory of A.N. Wayne and Ya.I. Levina M.: "Medforum", 2016.
• A.M. Petrov, A.R. Giniatullin Neurobiology of sleep: a modern view (textbook) Kazan, SCMU, 2012

In the middle of the 20th century, the question of what would happen if you didn’t sleep for a long time interested scientists so much that many volunteers appeared who set up such an experiment on themselves: Robert McDonalds (453 hours of wakefulness), Randy Gardner (264 hours), Tony Wright (274 hours). There were also such phenomenal personalities who were awake for several years in a row, but these were no longer experiments, but the result of illness and injury. During the First World War, Paul Kern, wounded in the forehead, underwent surgery and lost the ability to sleep. The doctors thought that he would not live long after the operation, but he lived for a long time, did not sleep and felt well.

Can an ordinary person stay awake for a long time?

One of the features of the human body is the need to change the cycles of sleep and wakefulness, almost a third of the life of an average person passes in a state of sleep. Since sleep is necessary to restore the expended energy, insomnia exhausts the soul and body. Experiments conducted on animals have confirmed that with a prolonged inability to sleep in the body, the volume of stress hormones increases and the regeneration of brain cells sharply decreases.

Consider step by step what exactly happens to the body, deprived of sleep

• On the third day, consciousness begins to get confused, this is due to hormonal disruptions and the gradual destruction of the connection between neurons.

• On the fourth or fifth day (the process is purely individual), there are hallucinations and symptoms characteristic of patients with Alzheimer's syndrome.

• The sixth or seventh day makes speech slurred, a tremor appears in the hands, the intellect deteriorates sharply.

• They say that further a person either cannot stand it and falls asleep, despite the fact that prevented him from doing this before, or dies. Among the Chinese, the execution to which a person was brought through insomnia was considered one of the most cruel.

Other effects of sleep deprivation

Scientists at the University of Chicago have found that prolonged inability to sleep or lack of sleep for a long time bring the body to a state where glucose is not absorbed. Therefore, the impossibility of proper sleep contributes to the development of diabetes. If a child has inadequate sleep, there is a decrease in the production of somatropic hormone, and this adversely affects the ability to grow. In adults, obesity has the same effect.

CIA officers used music torture, in particular hard rock, against Arab terrorists. There was a culture shock with the victims of torture, as the Arabs were not used to such music and did not understand it. People were losing their minds. The reaction of the musicians whose music was used for this purpose was interesting: some demanded royalties.

Metabolic processes, including oxidative ones, are constantly taking place in the body. If a person is deprived of sleep even periodically, the body wears out faster.

Surely everyone had such times when they had to stay awake for a day, or even two days without a break. Partial memory lapses, headache, fatigue, drowsiness and loss of appetite - all this becomes the cause of such a serious lack of sleep. But already after the first full sleep, a person feels much better, and the unpleasant consequences of prolonged wakefulness go away by themselves.

What will happen if you don’t sleep for 7 whole days in a row, and what harm to health can cause such a long wakefulness. Scientists checked the trials for the possibilities of not sleeping a wink for an entire week.

First day without sleep

From the moment of awakening in the morning, and until late at night, a person will not feel any changes in his body that could provoke a sudden loss of appetite or mood, as well as an unreasonable deterioration in well-being. However, at nightfall, this picture will change somewhat.

Important! With prolonged wakefulness, over the prescribed 16 hours of knocking, a person experiences a failure of circadian cycles, which are responsible for the proper functioning of the biological clock. However, this violation is not considered dangerous to health, and it can be eliminated with the help of proper sleep.

The biological clock of the body is set up in such a way that during sleep, activate our nervous system and some areas of the brain responsible for metabolism. These processes, in turn, allow you to gain energy during eight hours of sleep. In the absence of Morpheus, the brain continues to function as usual, without interruption for rest. As a result, this becomes the cause of fatigue and irritability in the morning.

Second day without rest

After the first sleepless day, fatigue will noticeably increase, and memory lapses will become more frequent and longer. A person will have difficulty formulating long coherent sentences and concentrating his thoughts. He will also have the first visual signs of prolonged wakefulness, such as:

• Impaired movement coordination. So, when walking, a person staggers a little, and a short-term tremor periodically takes possession of his hands.
• Reduced concentration of vision. A person will often squint his eyes, which will become a noticeable sign from the outside.
• Incoherent speech. For example, during a conversation, an interlocutor who has not slept for a long time swallows the end of words, and his tongue is periodically tangled.

All of the above signs are a consequence of the depletion of the nervous system, which is already considered dangerous to health. If you do not sleep for a week due to circumstances, then the current level of danger will increase significantly, and its consequences can be irreversible and lead to death.

Third day without a break for sleep

In addition to a serious depletion of the nervous system and brain, on the third day of wakefulness, a person will also experience a malfunction in the digestive tract, expressed in an increase in appetite. This phenomenon is considered protective, and its activation occurs only in critical situations.

Increased appetite does not apply to all foods, but only to fatty and salty foods. Since only they contain a substance that promotes the production of insomnia hormones. At the same time, on the third day of wakefulness, it will be difficult for a person to fall asleep, even despite such a long absence of rest.

Fourth day is a critical moment

By the fourth day without sleep, the first hallucinations, both visual and auditory, begin to appear. These phenomena are associated with a significant slowdown in the work of some parts of his brain. It will seem to the sleepless person that he sees himself from the outside, as if from a third person. But at the same time, his ability to control his movements will not disappear anywhere.

Thus, if you do not look closely at such an individual, it is still more difficult to understand that the fourth day has already passed without sleep. Such a state can only be recognized by relatives, colleagues and those with whom a person has been communicating for a long time.

Fifth day

The fifth day of insomnia will be very similar to the fourth day, with the difference that the existing deviations in the work of the brain and nervous system will noticeably increase. Hallucinations will become longer (up to 10 minutes), and their occurrence will be very frequent. At the same time, it will seem to a person that the day lasts infinity.

Important! During this period, the body temperature may rise, or, conversely, fall. This phenomenon is considered quite normal with prolonged lack of sleep, as it will indicate the inclusion of the body's protective functions.

It is hard to imagine what will happen to the body if you do not sleep for 7 days. Indeed, already on the fifth day of activity, a person will not be able to think logically, and the simplest arithmetic tasks will seem simply overwhelming for him. At the same time, the visual manifestations of his insomnia will also increase: incoherent speech, impaired coordination of movements, tremor, etc.

Sixth day - apogee

On the sixth day of wakefulness, the person will be incredibly different from herself, in her usual state. Behavior will change drastically:

• irritability will increase;
• involuntary movements of the limbs will appear;
• speech becomes almost unintelligible;
• auditory mirages will be added to the existing hallucinations.

The tremor of the limbs will seriously increase, and by visual signs it will resemble Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, the person’s appetite will completely disappear, since his digestive tract will suffer serious disruptions and disorders (indigestion, periodic nausea, etc.).

Seventh day - high danger to life

If a person has not slept for seven days, then by the end of a sleepless week, the first signs of schizophrenia will appear. The person will often panic for no reason, as it will seem that there are dangers everywhere. At the same time, it will be difficult for a sleepless person to understand where he is and what he is doing here. It is likely that after a week of wakefulness, a person will begin to communicate with inanimate objects, perceiving them as full-fledged interlocutors.

Delusional thoughts will cause a person to do strange things, up to and including suicide. Therefore, such a person needs additional control. Well, if you continue not to sleep in the same spirit, then after a few days it is quite possible to die from severe exhaustion of the body.

Summing up, we can conclude that not sleeping for 7 days is very unhealthy, and, moreover, such a long wakefulness will be absolutely meaningless. Indeed, in the time saved, you will not be able to function normally or rest, due to malfunctions in the body.

The only allowable period of prolonged wakefulness is two days. Since during this period there will be no danger to the body. But it is also not recommended to abuse long-term insomnia, in order to avoid serious health problems in old age.

Ever heard of biorhythms? Doctors are convinced that you need to organize your daily routine in accordance with them. But what if the modern rhythm of life does not allow this?!

First, find out what happens if you do not sleep all night. It is very likely that you will reconsider your views on sleep and wakefulness.

Staying up all night: the main causes of your insomnia

Surely everyone had days (or rather nights) when you. There can be many reasons for this, but the outcome is always the same: dark circles under the eyes, irritability, fatigue and headache. Let's look at the most common causes of insomnia.

How productive are you before and after a sleepless night?

Even a day without sleep will affect your well-being

An adult is recommended to sleep 7-9 hours a day. However, we know how difficult it is to live according to the regime. It is more difficult only in the morning, when you have to literally drag yourself out of bed. When you're 20, permanent sleep deprivation will show up as dark circles under the eyes (which can be removed with a concealer in a couple of minutes). But for mature women, insomnia is much more expensive. Gray complexion, unwillingness to do anything and hatred for the whole world. In addition to appearance, insomnia also affects your productivity.

What happens if you do not sleep all night: consequences for the body

Our brain could be called a wonder of the world. You don't even know what he's doing! So, here you are awake, having slept for about 8-9 hours. Feel great, ready for a new day. However, during this very day, a huge amount of work falls on you, which simply needs to be completed before tomorrow morning. What solution? That's right, don't sleep! You prepare yourself a couple of mugs of strong coffee and get to work. What is the risk of lack of sleep?

Contrary to popular belief, our sleepiness does not depend on how much we sleep. More precisely, not only from this. Sleepiness and alertness are completely dependent on what time of day it is.. Our body is designed in such a way that at night we want to sleep, but not during the day. I feel that many are already protesting: “How is it that, on the contrary, I sleep during the day and work at night ?!” This also happens, but you can hardly argue with the fact that this is unnatural for our body.

The fact is that at night, a hormone such as melatonin is produced in the body. It is responsible for the change of sleep and wakefulness. Its deficiency manifests itself in our fatigue, irritability and panda circles. The maximum amount of melatonin appears in the period from 5 to 7 in the morning. By the way, in order for the hormone to be produced in sufficient quantities, you need to sleep in complete darkness (even the light of street lamps will interfere with its production).

During the day, our activity level increases significantly. We are ready for new achievements, even if. That is, the main role is played not by the number of hours that we spent in the arms of Morpheus, but by the time of day. If you do not sleep constantly, the internal "controller" will go astray, and you will be the first to know about it.

Outwardly, lack of sleep will manifest itself in the form of a lack of strength, a bad mood, a pessimistic outlook on life. One day will pass more or less without loss. But if you “experiment” for a week, get ready for serious consequences.

Note: lack of sleep for 11 days will cause you to develop symptoms characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Can you imagine?

Pros and cons of sleepless nights

What to do if you have a sleepless night?

The main symptom of lack of sleep is dark circles under the eyes.

If you're in a situation where you just can't go to bed, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind. They will help you stay on your feet, even if you literally fall off them!

1. Don't eat up. As soon as you feel full, you immediately want to sleep.
2. Put on something uncomfortable. I agree, it's very harsh. But if you really can’t sleep, you will have to sacrifice your comfort.
3. Don't lie down. Try to be upright. As soon as you lie down, immediately "pass out."
4. Turn on the light. Lighting should be as bright as possible. Therefore, even if you are strenuously saving light, “turn on” all sources at once: a sconce, a common lamp, a garland. And let the neighbors think you're having a party.
5. Fight with someone. And with whom, it doesn't really matter. The main thing is to plunge into a state of sincere indignation. It will “cheer up” your nervous system, and you will definitely not fall asleep!
6. Sleep the night before. Before the "sleepless marathon" you need to get enough sleep. At least 7-8 hours.
7. Eat something spicy. Spicy food will irritate your taste buds, which in turn will irritate your nervous system.
8. Wash off with cool water. Better than ice cold! The effect is tested on yourself! In addition to vivacity, you will receive a bonus in the form of a healthy blush.
9. Chew gum. During chewing, your brain receives the signal "Food in your mouth" and is activated.
10. Rock the press. Or do a squat set. It has been proven that physical activity stimulates mental activity.

From this video you will find out what awaits you if you suddenly decide not to sleep for a whole week. Thought limited to only bruises under the eyes? Nope!

What happens if you don't sleep all night?

I constantly fail. And I don’t live in a metropolis, but I really don’t have enough time. One day I came up with a brilliant (as it seemed to me) idea. Don't sleep. "Well, obviously!" I exclaimed almost at the top of my voice. If earlier I went to bed at 11, and got up at 7 (without having time for almost anything), then it turns out to be a “sea” of free time. I returned after work and for myself announced the start of the marathon. By 11, of course, there was a lot of unfinished business. "So that's great!" - flashed through my head.

“And great” was until about two in the morning. And after that, I began to drive (to put it mildly) into a dream. I drank two cups of coffee, but they didn't help at all. The fight with Morpheus lasted until about four, after which I "passed out" right at the kitchen table.

I woke up at eight and was stunned with horror: I have to be at work in an hour! It seems to me that the way I rushed to work that day, even professional athletes do not run. I did. I sat down at my desk and found that I still hadn't woken up. Everyone was running around, fussing, and I was like in a fog. The working day passed under the motto "Thank you for being alive."

This night was more or less productive, I do not argue. But! The consequences that lay in wait for me in the morning and accompanied me throughout the day made it clear: sleep is still needed.

Probably everyone wondered, “What happens if you don’t sleep all night?”. You won't find the exact answer anywhere. But if you decide to test the effect of lack of sleep on yourself, be prepared for "surprises". And I'm not just talking about "panda circles" now.

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