Can you die from not getting sleep?

[kermit911]

If so how? what happens?

Thanx
Kermit

[spaced]

Yes you can. I once saw a documentary where some bloke received trauma to a part of the brain which controls sleep. He would slowly have less and less sleep. After 6 months of this he stopped sleeping and would be awake for weeks. Doctors gave him horse tranquilisers, which did nothing. He slowly became more and more ill, lost alot of weight, and ended up in a vegetative state, could not speak or anything. He died after a year of no sleep. Sleep in a process which the body needs to recuporate itself.

[theren_911]

IN addition to what spaced said - apparently there a limit as to how much sleep depravation the mind can take before it snaps. I think its something like 7-10 days before your mind is gone beyond repair.

Ther was a story in the Metro (free paper on trains etc) about a Chinese girl Dying of Sleep Loss/Starvation from playing on World of Warcraft (an online game) for something like 72 hours straight (or something ridiculous)

[Clanad]

Several studies indicate the immune system is weakened without sleep. The number of white blood cells within the body decreases, as does the activity of the remaining white blood cells. The body also decreases the amount of growth hormone produced. The ability of the body to metabolize sugar declines, turning sugar into fat. One study stated that people who sleep less than four hours per night are three times more likely to die within the next six years. Although the longest a human has remained awake was eleven days rats that are continually deprived of sleep die within two to five weeks, generally due to their severely weakened immune system. (Source: Sleep Loss and Frontal Lobe Function).

[rojash]

"Still used by the USA though,"
Well, there's a surprise!

[nucleardream]

Contrare: I have experimented with the idea of the less sleep - the better. Through daily observation, I have noticed that I can operate better (i.e. more efficiently, clearer thoughts) if I get 6 to 7 hours of sleep versus anything 8 or above. The one result pending however is the length of efficient operation - I may not be able to last as long in strenuous activity from 6 vs. 8 hours of sleep.

Does anyone else have similar takes? (this sounds oddly like a question that I should post on the frontpage of the science section)

[WooWoo]

Nucleardream,

I know what you mean about feeling tired after having too much sleep- I get that too... But I think it may have something to do with what stage of sleep you're in when you wake up, not the length of time you've been sleeping.

Not sure exactly, but there's a certain period after 6 or so hours of sleep, where you're not in a very deep sleep and that's the best time to wake up.

They've designed a watch that tracks what stage of sleep you're in and wakes you up at the least deep stage.

[WooWoo]

This might explain it better...

http://www.sleeptracker.com/howitworks_stages.aspx

[nucleardream]

Thanks WooWoo, my zzz's will appreciate it!