Positive and negative aspects of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation Deprivation and various diseases: what is the connection
Lack of sleep usually leads to serious problems: hypertension, blurred vision, and memory problems. The most common sleep disorders are insomnia, mental disorders, and being too busy.
Sleep deprivation is most common among teenagers and young adults, and for some of them, staying awake is a conscious choice. One day, 17-year-old Randy Gardner deliberately, and his result was included in the Guinness Book of Records. The record was later broken by Maureen Weston, who did not sleep for 18 days.
According to statistics on sleep deprivation on VKontakte, most often people between 16 and 25 years old deliberately do not sleep. The main reasons for conscious interruption of sleep among young people are the appearance of hallucinations and. In special groups on social networks, marathons are held, where participants do not sleep for several days (from 3 to 9 days) and, along the way, the effects of long-term deprivation.
States of altered consciousness that occur due to interrupted sleep are similar to drug intoxication. According to some studies, long-term sleep deprivation can cause addiction, which can subsequently lead to the use of psychoactive substances.
15 years old, Omsk. Haven't slept for 10 days
I spend most of my time at home and am rarely allowed to go out. I live with my mother, my younger brother, who has a disability, and my semi-paralyzed grandmother, with whom I share a room. I haven’t seen my father for eight years and I don’t want to see him.
At the age of 12, I was forced to go to a psychologist, but this did not save me from nervous breakdowns and rejection of my appearance - I always had complexes about my figure. I used radical methods of losing weight - fasting and heavy physical activity. Even at that moment I was depressed. All this resulted in (self-harm. - Note ed.). I hid the cuts, and then at school there was a check to make sure no one got drunk because of it, and my scars were noticed. The houses were screaming. They bought me some scar cream, and I started cutting my legs. In the end, I decided to try to change something on my own.
I learned about sleep deprivation from the Internet when I was looking for ways to treat depression. There I read about pleasant consequences in the form of hallucinations and expansion of consciousness. It seemed to me that this was a salvation from all problems.
I started practicing deprivation a year ago, during which time I have not slept for a long time more than ten times. On average, during deprivation I do not sleep for 4–6 days. I approached the first time thoroughly: I read a lot of all sorts of articles and reviews. It only lasted me four days: I felt like a loser because I had a lapse (from the phrase “falling asleep”) - this is when you accidentally fall asleep for a long time. By the way, there is also microsleep - when you fall asleep for a short time and do not realize it.
The worst glitch was at the end: when I looked in the mirror and saw that I had no face
My record is 240 hours. Then I set myself the goal of holding out as long as possible. The first night there was white noise in my head. Already on the fourth day, glitches began: I saw a spider the size of a fist on the wall. From the fifth day a terrible headache appeared, and then heartburn due to hunger was added to this. I also had a pounding in my heart, probably due to high blood pressure.
I was constantly haunted by hallucinations: in my peripheral vision I constantly saw someone following me. The worst glitch happened at the end: when I looked in the mirror and saw that I had no face. In the last few days it seemed to me that if I fell asleep, I would die. Tides of hyperactive vigor were replaced by simply hellish fatigue. My eyes hurt so much that it was difficult to open them. I felt an irresistible urge to lie down. So that no one would suspect anything, I used all my acting abilities and pretended that everything was fine. I attributed the loss of energy to fatigue after school, and to look cheerful I drank tonic drinks and used cosmetics.
After two days without sleep, the concept of time disappears and you dissolve in space
Long-term deprivation is similar to intoxication or a mild trip, although I have not tried drugs. I haven’t noticed any expansion of consciousness, but when I wake up after long-term deprivation, I feel like a different person. In the process, I feel like a researcher of my own body.
Sleep deprivation became an obsession for me. Giving up sleep doesn't solve my problems, but it does make me look at them easier. Now I’m taking breaks: I read that if you practice often, you’ll just get insomnia and the feeling of high will disappear. I will definitely repeat it, because now I want to learn how to make my dreams lucid.
Konstantin (name changed at the request of the hero)
20 years old, Crimea peninsula. Didn't sleep for 4 days
For me, a dream is nothingness in miniature: wonderful, beautiful, but meaningless. I learned about sleep deprivation at the age of 15 from Wikipedia, and by the time I was 16 I had not slept for 48 hours straight. I decided to try sleep deprivation because I wanted to get glitches and change my thinking. Later this grew into a desire to test my own capabilities.
At the very beginning it was difficult to hold out even for two days. I drank energy drinks and coffee, but it didn’t invigorate me. Willpower and a to-do list for the night are the most important, because if you do nothing and look at pictures, you will fall asleep. The main thing is not to throw narcotic stimulants into yourself - this will not end well.
After two days without sleep, the concept of time disappears and you dissolve into space. The body floats, thoughts take on unexpected meaning, sounds become bright and rich. Hallucinations are different - as much as your imagination allows. For example, snakes can crawl under the carpet if you stare at it for a long time. The experiment I remember most was my friend and I: after three days without sleep, we sat down in front of the mirror and began to look into it. At first nothing happened, but then it became creepy: abstract images appeared, and in the end it seemed to me as if I was in some alien space, where different images were rushing through me.
I have tried various sleep deprivation schedules. There were 48 hours of wakefulness versus 10 hours of sleep - and so on for weeks on repeat. Or total deprivation once a week. The parents never noticed anything - a classic case.
After a couple of years of total sleep deprivation, my interest in this decreased, and I came to polyphasic sleep - sleeping 3-4 hours day and night. I practiced it until recently, but I realized that combining it with my lifestyle is quite difficult. Now six hours of sleep is enough for me.
Experiments with sleep increased the body's endurance, the strength to do various activities appeared, and anxiety went away. But there are other, very unpleasant moments: due to the last sleep schedule, when I was awake for twenty hours and slept for four, I began to experience sleep paralysis. I remember this moment well: I woke up from a nightmare, sat on the corner of the bed for a couple of minutes, drank water, and decided to lie down for a while to move away. I closed my eyes and began to hear beautiful sounds, then bright images appeared and I saw myself flying through them and turning into music. But suddenly a rumble began to grow in the background, which gradually interrupted the images and music and turned into unbearable white noise, then into ultrasound. I felt like I was flying through a tunnel, objects were flying around me, and the sensation of physicality and consciousness became relative. I tried to break this chain, to scream, but my voice broke. I felt unbearable fear and woke up. I saw a flickering image of my room in a broken form, which after a few seconds assembled like a puzzle into a familiar picture. This is much more terrible than one can describe or imagine. This is exactly what drives you crazy. Having experienced such a shock, I thought about the impact of my experiments on health, but came to the conclusion that there were many more advantages. I don’t plan to return to deprivation or polyphasic sleep in the near future, but in the future I definitely will. The main thing is time. It's very nice to have, say, 30 hours free.
21 years old, St. Petersburg. Didn't sleep for 7 days
Now I’m trying to recover from sleep deprivation, I try to control myself, but sometimes I still break down. I took myself weakly and went too far. I started staying awake more than six months ago. On average, I didn’t sleep for 4 days, and once it turned out to be 7 - and this became a turning point.
After two or three days, complete emotionlessness sets in: no one bothers you, and, in fact, you don’t bother anyone either. They ask you something, but you just remain silent because you can’t and don’t want to answer. I didn’t see much point in telling someone about problems already in my school years: the whole class hated me, they gathered in a group and beat me. Why speak if no one will stand up for you anyway? And now there are no people who could support me.
Deprivation helps well if you need to deal with accumulated problems or depression. When you stop sleeping, day after day your senses become dull, emotions disappear, and it becomes easier to look at life and find the reasons for your disgusting state. There is a feeling that you can adjust your personality however you want.
Because of glitches and all the experiments on myself, I began to feel paranoid: maybe it was there before, but now I feel it more than ever
When I feel bad, total deprivation begins unconsciously. I deprive myself of sleep, food and water, and everything happens automatically. If you don't take care of this, you stop feeling your body. It feels as if it is dying - it puts a lot of pressure on the consciousness. There were moments when I wanted to kill myself. When you have already found the answers to the questions you asked yourself before deprivation, but you continue to obsess over something, it develops into madness. A consuming feeling of unfulfillment appears. You realize that the Universe is huge, but at the same time you understand that even in it there is no place for you.
The side effects of sleep deprivation for me were mental problems. Not everyone can endure prolonged hallucinations: images of people, the feeling that someone is watching you in the dark. Because of glitches and all the experiments on myself, I began to feel paranoid - maybe I had it before, but now I feel it more than ever.
On two occasions, when I didn't sleep for a long time, I had blackouts. I don’t remember anything that happened then - it was as if I had never lived. I tried not to pretend that something was wrong with me - everything was fine, I just couldn’t sleep.
Rustem Gaifulin
Administrator of the public about sleep deprivation on VKontakte, organizer of group deprivation events
The group was created in 2011, when I just learned about the phenomenon of sleep deprivation. At that time I was tormented by insomnia; I could often go without sleep for two days. The community was primarily needed to bring together people with similar interests. The audience is mostly quite young - 16–25 years old.
Later, quite by accident, I came up with the idea of group sleep deprivation (participants stop sleeping at the same time and exchange impressions in the process. - Note ed.). Once upon a time I participated with everyone, but now I have almost no time. I am extremely approving of participants who extend the period of deprivation to 5–10 days. They still try.
Now the group is more like a family. New faces are good, especially if they are nice guys, but the larger the audience, the higher the degree of inadequacy.
Dorothy Berman
Psychiatrist, somnologist, psychotherapist at the Transfiguration clinic
Sleep deprivation is used as an alternative method of treating tolerant (insensitive to conventional therapy) depression and its varieties: apathy, melancholy. This treatment method is not recognized by all orthodox psychiatrists and psychotherapists and is not the choice of classical medicine.
The sensations of lack of sleep for 2-3 days are more reminiscent of alcohol or drug intoxication. There is a feeling of euphoria, hypomanic (optimistic-joyful. - Note ed.) mood, a state of some muted consciousness and disinhibition in behavior. With longer practices, hallucinations and disturbances in the perception of one’s body and surrounding space appear. These experiments will be most dangerous for people with chronic diseases. For example, if you are prone to glucose metabolism disorders, diabetes mellitus may develop due to the inability to absorb glucose during sleep. If there are problems with metabolism, a decrease in the production of somatotropic hormone (growth hormone. - Note ed.) due to sleep deprivation leads to the replacement of muscle mass with fat, slower growth and uniform physical development. This is very important in adolescence and young adulthood, since the body’s growth continues until the age of 25–28. If there is a family history of mental illness, prolonged sleep deprivation is likely to lead to psychosis or neurotic disorder.
The issue of using sleep deprivation as prescribed by a doctor is hardly relevant for young people. They want to live brightly and richly, they need to look for themselves and explore the world in all its manifestations. If you prevent the passage of the stage of self-knowledge in personal development, the crisis period will not be passed, and this will come back to haunt you in adulthood with problems such as antagonism, self-doubt and lack of understanding of your place in life.
It is worth remembering that people with existing mental characteristics, family problems and psychological difficulties are prone to using psychoactive substances and experimenting with their bodies. It is important not to overlook the moment when a boy or girl really needs the support, knowledge and experience of adults. We can unobtrusively offer alternative ways to get adrenaline, knowledge about ourselves and a sense of need in this world.
Teenagers want to change the whole world, but at the same time they understand that this is impossible. Powerlessness gives rise to feelings of depression and apathy. And then, realizing the insignificance of their capabilities, they find their own way to cope with the situation - to escape from the real reality into a fantasy one that they create themselves. Perhaps one of the reasons for sleep deprivation is that they so strongly want nothing to do with this terrible world, so much do not want to depend on it, that they begin to deny even their physiological needs for sleep, and often for food.
You can find information on the Internet that sleep deprivation can cure depression. For young people, this may look like a solution to their problems. However, depression is a complex mental disorder, and specialists must diagnose it, and even more so, only they must prescribe treatment. The consequences of self-treatment of depressive-like conditions can have unpredictable and catastrophic consequences, similar to the misuse of potent psychotropic drugs.
Their parents are responsible for the psychological health of children. And they are the ones who should be the first to notice that something wrong is happening to their children, so that, if necessary, they can contact a psychologist. But it often happens that adults do not notice the changes taking place in a teenager, so he is left alone with his feelings of depression and despair. And the fact that no one sees this makes his condition even worse. Indeed, in most cases, teenage self-destructive behavior is an unconscious call for help and the hope that help will come.
Sleep deprivation is a complete or partial refusal to sleep, in other words, insomnia. The use of this concept for medicinal purposes causes a lot of controversy regarding its benefits or harm. Our task is to help you understand its essence, and not to evaluate it.
Naturally, a person cannot stay awake all the time, but he has the power to limit this process to a minimum (several hours a day). Sleep deprivation has several main stages:
- The main thing is not to sleep! This is the initial stage, which lasts from one to six days. During this period, the person will constantly struggle with sleep. The main goal is to fall asleep for only 2 hours, and not for the whole night or day. The important thing here is not to break down, to maintain psychological calm. To do this, you need to diversify your activities while awake, do something new and interesting. Moreover, the activity that you choose should not be monotonous (watching television or cracking seeds), but active. Remember that during this period you may experience nervous tension, frustration, and may feel unwell. However, after experiencing this stage, you will feel that this condition will pass by itself.
- The second stage of sleep deprivation is shock therapy. It can last up to 10 days. This period is characterized by people will seem like robots to you, the perception of the surrounding reality may be disrupted. Sometimes memory will fail: a person will forget what happened a minute ago, confusion between past and present will begin (you will not be able to distinguish between these two concepts for some time). A slight degree of euphoria is possible.
- This stage is fraught with constant insomnia, but the body’s adaptation to deprivation is already beginning. All body systems are sharpened, processes are accelerated (clear perception of the surrounding world, heightened senses and a feeling of euphoria). However, if insomnia does not go away, the next stage begins, which is life-threatening.
- Hallucinations. At this stage there may be visual hallucinations. Sleep deprivation should not begin at this stage because it may end in paranoia or a psychiatric hospitalization.
Today, this technique is used to lift a person out of deep depression. However, the essence of the method used in this case is that the sleep cycle gradually changes, the number of hours spent asleep decreases, and the period of wakefulness increases. Doctors believe that sleep deprivation selectively affects certain areas of the brain. At the same time, those areas that are not associated with a depressive state do not undergo any impact. This explains the small number of side effects.
Sleep deprivation, the consequences of which can be very serious for the human psyche, should only be carried out under the supervision of doctors. The fact is that long-term sleep deprivation can cause even if a person has never had this disease.
Many participants in experiments on long-term sleep deprivation spoke positively about the effect of this technique: at some point the body’s performance increases, vivid hallucinations arise, and euphoria begins, which is characterized by an increase in the acuity of perception of the world. However, it is important to get out of this state in time, because sleep deprivation can develop into psychosis, the treatment of which can take a long time.
Many great personalities, by using this technique, increased their creative capabilities, which, in many ways, contributed to an increase in scientific discoveries on a global scale and the creation of great works of art. And this, you see, is worth a lot.
Sleep deprivation- lack or complete lack of satisfaction of the need for sleep. It can occur as a result of sleep disorders, conscious choice, or forced, during torture and interrogation. Sleep deprivation is also used to treat depression.
Usage
Scientific research
In science, sleep deprivation studies and experiments are conducted on humans and animals to study the functions of sleep and the biological mechanisms associated with sleep deprivation.
Treatment of depression
Sleep deprivation is used in the treatment of certain types of depression, especially those with elements of apathy. This method was introduced into psychiatric practice by Walter Schulte in 1966. His studies showed that sleep deprivation improves the condition of patients with psychogenic and organic depression.
Torture
Various types of deprivation of a person's basic needs, including sleep deprivation, were used as methods of torture. Thus, in the American Guantanamo Bay camp, prisoners were subjected to musical torture - deprivation of sleep and rest using loud, continuous music. During the Vietnam War, American pilots captured in North Vietnam were tied or shackled to a chair and forced to sit for days without changing their position, without allowing them to sleep.
Informed choice
Sometimes sleep deprivation can be used consciously, as a form of entertainment, self-discovery, or a legal substitute for drugs. The technique of depriving oneself of sleep is also used to achieve an altered state of consciousness - vivid hallucinations, heightened feelings, etc. In Christianity, the practice is used symbolically in the form of an all-night vigil.
The Guinness Book of Records holds a record for the number of hours a person spends without sleep. In the winter of 1963, it was installed by 17-year-old schoolboy Randy Gardner, who was awake for 264 hours (11 days). After this, representatives of the Book of Records stated that they would no longer register attempts to break this record, as this could pose a threat to human health. However, attempts to break the record continued. The latest record dates back to 2007 and belongs to Briton Tony Wright, who was able to stay awake continuously for 274 hours.
Physiological effects
In general, lack of sleep can lead to the following symptoms:
- muscle pain
- drop in visual acuity
- clinical depression
- color blindness
- excessive sleepiness during the day
- decreased ability to concentrate
- loss of sense of identity and reality
- weakened immune system
- dizziness
- general confusion
- hallucinations (visual and auditory)
- limb tremor
- headache
- hyperactivity
- irritability
- lucid dreams (when sleep resumes)
- nausea
- nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic movement of the eyes)
- psychosis-like symptoms
- pallor
- slow reaction time
- unclear or disjointed speech
- sore throat
- stuffy nose
- weight loss or gain
- severe yawning
- symptoms similar to:
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- alcohol intoxication
- intestinal upset, digestive disorders, diarrhea
- increased blood pressure
- high risk of diabetes high risk of fibromyalgia
Diabetes
A study conducted at the University of Chicago Medical Center showed a strong negative impact of sleep deprivation on the human body's ability to metabolize glucose, which can lead to diabetes.
Effects on the brain
Sleep deprivation can negatively affect brain function. A 2000 study at the University of California, San Diego, used magnetic resonance imaging to monitor the brain activity of people performing simple oral learning exercises. Frontal lobe activity was higher in sleep-deprived people - depending on the exercise, the brain sometimes tried to compensate for the lack of sleep. The temporal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for processing language, was activated in rested people, which was not observed in those who did not get enough sleep. Activity in the parietal lobe of the brain, which is not used in rested people when performing oral exercises, was higher in people with sleep deprivation.
Animal experiments show that sleep deprivation increases the release of stress hormones, which can lead to a decrease in the rate of cell regeneration in the brain. During sleep deprivation, drowsy states may occur, which are a temporary mental disorder.
Impact on the healing process
A 2005 study found that the wound-healing ability of a group of rats that went 5 days without sleep did not change significantly compared to a control group.
Weakening abilities
According to a study published in 2000 in the British Medical Journal, sleep deprivation is somewhat similar to alcohol intoxication. People who had been awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those who had a blood alcohol level of 0.05%, which is the legal limit in many Western countries (it is 0.08% in the US and UK).
Lack of sleep due to long shifts among doctors leads to an increase in medical errors.
Impact on growth and obesity
Sleep deprivation leads to suppression of growth hormone secretion. With its deficiency, excess calories are converted not into muscle mass, but into fat tissue. In children, deficiency of this hormone leads to growth retardation.
For the treatment of mental disorders, forced or voluntary sleep deprivation is used in medicine. The patient consciously stays awake for more than a day. A single use of the method leads to improved mood and performance. Partial deprivation, when a person suffers from chronic lack of sleep, is dangerous to health.
Every day a person needs from 6 to 8 hours of good sleep. An incorrect regimen for several weeks can lead to psycho-emotional disorders and physical exhaustion. During a night's rest, the following processes occur in the body:
- Production of growth hormone somatotropin. During sleep, children grow, and in adults, metabolic processes are regulated and fat deposits are redistributed.
- Slowing down the aging process. At night the body rests, the face and eyes are not subject to constant stress.
- Strengthening the immune system. People who get enough sleep are less susceptible to viral, infectious and cancer diseases.
- Strengthening memory. During the night's rest, the brain continues to process information and consolidate the skills learned during the day.
- Reducing stress. To relax, calm down and relieve nervous tension, you need to get enough sleep.
Sleep is the main mechanism for restoring the entire body. The human body and many vital systems shut down.
Advice! If you do not need to rest, and you are able to stay awake for more than two days, it is recommended to consult a somnologist.
Sleep deprivation concept
Sleep deprivation (from the English word deprivation) is a voluntary or forced 24-hour wakefulness, which is studied in psychology and used in the treatment of nervous disorders. A person in this state does not respond to external stimuli and has hallucinations.
With a long absence of rest, the brain actively works and the sleepless person can remember bright moments of the past. A person’s creativity increases, he is able to perceive things around him in a bright and extraordinary way, and regenerate new ideas. However, in addition to the positive aspects, deprivation has a negative impact on the psyche, provoking irritability, aggressiveness, loss of memory and consciousness.
Definition of the term
In medicine, there are several concepts that define what sleep deprivation is. All of them describe forced or voluntary absence of night rest. This condition is also induced artificially to treat serious mental disorders.
- Long-term lack of sleep, which is caused by a personal desire to have time to do necessary things. External influence on a person for the purpose of torture and bullying.
- Sleep disturbance or partial absence. Caused by a nervous breakdown, mental disorder, stress, overwork, and the arrival of a newborn child in the family.
- Short-term deprivation, the purpose of which is to treat depression. It is used in psychiatry under the supervision of doctors.
Important to know! It is not recommended to limit yourself in your sleep. Since prolonged lack or complete absence of rest leads to physical and emotional malaise, clouding of consciousness, and hallucinations.
Varieties of the condition
Deprivation is described not only as a state of total insomnia. Violation also occurs in case of sleep less than 4 hours a day or rest that does not coincide with human biorhythms.
Partial deprivation
This condition is encountered by a person who has been sleeping about 3-4 hours a day for 2-3 weeks. The first few days the body undergoes a restructuring in a new way. For some people this becomes normal. They are able to get enough sleep in a short amount of time, while they are happy, cheerful and energetic.
Partial deprivation is observed among students during the session or among office workers who need to submit reports once a quarter. After reducing the load and returning the person to normal mode, the body is rebuilt again.
Selective
This type of deprivation is intended to improve performance. It is recommended to stay awake during REM sleep, as during this period the brain is able to react and process information received more quickly.
Deliberate sleep deprivation without prior experience should not exceed more than two days in a row. Otherwise, the person will begin to feel unwell, become aggressive, nervous and absent-minded.
Full
In complete deprivation, a person is deprived of sleep for 36 hours. After such a period of wakefulness, twelve hours of sound sleep is imperative. Longer absence of rest has a bad effect on brain function and leads to general exhaustion of the body. Do not practice this technique more than several times a week.
Attention! If a therapist has diagnosed you with depression, do not try to self-treat through sleep deprivation. In most cases, medication and medical supervision are required.
Purposes of use
Many people, during periods of active work and lack of time to complete it, use the sleep deprivation method. In psychiatry, such a condition can pull a person out of post-traumatic syndrome and 
cure serious mental disorders. Medical purposes of depriving a patient of sleep:
- depression;
- loss of identity;
- memory impairment;
- aggressiveness, nervousness, irascibility;
- depression, confusion and confusion;
- hyperactivity of children.
Deprivation is also used to study severe forms of epilepsy. During prolonged sleep deprivation, electroencephalography is performed, which makes it possible to determine hidden elliptical activity. An EEG will determine the presence of problems with memory, vision, the cause of impaired coordination, speech, and the presence of tumors in the brain.
Features of treatment of depression with deprivation
Twice sleep deprivation is used for depression. To prevent exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to deprive sleep once a week. This method is not intended for home treatment. It is used under the supervision of specialists.
Deprivation is effective in 70% of cases of manic-depressive disorder. It is also used in the treatment of symptoms of neurotic depression, schizophrenia and psychosis against a background of deep melancholy.
A simple treatment regimen has been developed over the years: 36 hours awake, 12 rest and another 36 without sleep. Already after two times of deprivation, the condition improves, depression goes away, and the patient begins to have good dreams.
Important to know! To completely get out of a depressed state, you need to deprive yourself of sleep once a week for several months under the supervision of a specialist. During deprivation, you should not be physically overtired, drive, or perform complex processes that require increased attention.
Voluntary decision
If you are in a depressed state, you lack vitality and the desire to do anything, carry out a two-day deprivation yourself. It is very important not to harm your body when using the technique. Follow the basic rules:
- Don't sleep or nap at all for 36 hours.
- At midnight and 4 am it is not recommended to watch TV or read books; at this time you do the most active work.
- It is advisable not to eat at night, and also give up tea and coffee.
If you feel very sleepy after a night out, do some exercise or take a short walk in the fresh air. For better results, psychotherapists recommend using deprivation together with fasting.
Violent methods
For serious mental disorders, forced deprivation is carried out. It is imperative to take medications at the same time. During treatment, the patient is under the constant supervision of a doctor, his actions are active. The period of immersion in a dream should not exceed 12 hours.
After a night's rest, it is imperative to interpret dreams, but not look at what they mean according to the dream book. The scenes and pictures that appear in the dream directly characterize the patient’s state of mind.
Results of deprivation
Sleep deprivation has consequences that affect the psychological, neurological, endocrine and cognitive functions of the body. If you suffer from high blood pressure, vegetative-vascular dystonia or chronic diseases, be sure to consult a psychotherapist. Remember that partial wakefulness and constant sleep deprivation are much more dangerous and less productive than complete sleep deprivation.
Chronic lack of sleep affects human health in the following ways:
- development of diabetes mellitus;
- obesity;
- visual impairment, color blindness;
- problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder;
- neurological disorders;
- development of malignant tumors.
When deprivation lasts longer than 48 hours, there is a lack of coordination, vomiting, nausea, and hallucinations. People who don't get enough rest for a long time have pale skin, dull hair, they age earlier and get tired faster.
Emotional background
The consequences of prolonged wakefulness are the appearance of aggression, increased excitability, lack of the ability to think critically and regulate one’s emotional background. In a state of deprivation, a person becomes easily suggestible. He also reacts more vividly to events happening around him and ceases to distinguish between important and unimportant things.
Intellectual abilities
Without sleep, a person cannot perform new work and study. He remembers previously acquired skills and copes with assignments according to a well-known pattern. According to reviews from people who have experienced deprivation for 24 hours, the condition is similar to alcohol intoxication.
The patient loses attention and has difficulty reading, sewing, or putting together puzzles. Several days of wakefulness leads to the appearance of hallucinations. After proper rest, normalization of cognitive function occurs.
Immune system
Sleep deprivation is a serious threat to health, so the number of white blood cells in the body increases. Lack of rest throughout the day leads to the activation of protective functions, as at the onset of the disease. Prolonged wakefulness results in decreased immunity. The patient becomes susceptible to viruses and infections.
Deprivation and various diseases: what is the connection
Deprivation has been actively used by psychotherapists to treat depression since the 80s. Since then, experiments have been conducted annually to confirm the safety and effectiveness of chronic sleep deprivation or complete lack of sleep.
- Diabetes mellitus. In the absence of adequate sleep, the process of glucose digestion slows down, as well as a disruption in the production of hormones. Therefore, there is an opinion that deprivation leads to the development of pathologies of the endocrine gland.
- Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. If a person goes without sleep for a long time, the brain cells swell and toxins accumulate in them. The functioning of the cerebrospinal fluid system is disrupted, which leads to the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles. All this provokes the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
- Injuries. If coordination in the work of the body is impaired due to wear and tear, a person can independently injure himself. Therefore, psychotherapists do not recommend driving or using electrical appliances while treating depression using deprivation.
Clouding of consciousness and the presence of hallucinations lead to many serious consequences. A person in this state is not responsible for his actions, he does not eat, does not drink, and ceases to feel the urge to go to the toilet.
Treatment of depressed mood and depression using sleep deprivation is effective. It is carried out under the supervision of specialists; in parallel, the patient is prescribed antidepressants. If you are experiencing writer's block, you can practice staying awake for 36 hours, but no more than once a week.
