ANCSLEEP BLOG

What is Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is the chronic condition of not receiving adequate sleep. Adequate sleep will differ from person to person, and change as we age. Most of us suffer from sleep deprivation because we either have trouble staying asleep, or getting to sleep. 

It's also important to distinguish between shorter term sleep deprivation, such as sleep deprivation causes by anxieties or stress that will soon pass, and long term sleep deprivation, such as a chronic lack of sleep that may spread over months or years.

Sleep deprivation is usually followed by sleep bingeing (i.e. on the weekends) before the cycle of sleep deprivation starts over. Chronic sleep deprivation has a strong link to depression. One of the common signs of insomnia and sleep apnea, for example, is depression.

The sleep deprivation cycle is one that many struggle with chronically, essentially consisting of being sleep deprived for days followed by sleep binging, which leads to even more late nights and continued sleep deprivation. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle that commonly occurs during the week with sleep deprivation and "catch up" during the weekend. 

The opposite of the sleep deprivation cycle is consistent, sufficient sleep, as opposed to being deprived of sleep. Sleep deprivation is insidious, and can be result in a lower quality of life, lower expectancy, and decreased performance in every aspect of life. Breaking the cycle is important for overall life quality and health. Continue reading this blog post where we discuss a number of tips to help break this cycle.