What is sleep deprivation ?
If after a night sleep you are not feeling refreshed and energized, it is very likely that you have deprived your body of the sleep it needs. Many nights of sleep deprivation can accumulate a large sleep debt which give rise to several physiological and mental disfunctions. If sleep deprivation occurs frequently it is probably due to some sleep disorder.
The good news is that specialist doctors say there is scientific evidence showing that once the sleep disorder is identified and cured, the sleep debt can be recovered.
However chronic sleep deprivation can be very dangerous and even fatal.
Experiments showed that totally sleep deprived rats lived only 2-3 weeks.
Do you suffer from sleep deprivation?
To find out you can perform a quick self analysis, but the correct answer can only be given by a qualified doctor.
A specialist doctor can give the patient information on sleep deprivation by carrying out a series of tests. Initially questionnaires needs to be filled in, a standard used by doctors is the Epworth Sleepiness scale, then he would record a series of measurements of the electrical activity of the brain, of the heart, the muscles, and the eye movements.
Then he would record the time it takes for the subject to fall asleep under different conditions.Blood tests can also be used. For a complete set of tests the patient would be asked to stay overnight.
So to avoid sleep deprivation, how much sleep do we need?
The amount of sleep required varies from person to person and for each person is also dependent on his/her age, but it has been shown that for adults on average it is better to sleep 7-8 hours a day rather than less or more.
General sleep times guidelines for different age groups
- Babies (up to 2 months) 11 - 18 hours
- Babies (up to 1 year) 11 - 16 hours
- Children (up to 5 years) 11 – 14 hours
- Youngsters (up to 18years) 8 – 11 hours
- Adults 7 - 8 hours