Sleep deprivation is more harmful than chronic insomnia, say experts

It is very common to confuse sleep deprivation with insomnia, but experts say they are not the same thing.

While sleep deprivation happens when the mind is ready to sleep but external circumstances are not favourable, insomnia happens when the mind will not let a person sleep.

Sleep deprivation is often recognised as insufficient sleep because the person is not sleeping as per the need of their body. Insomnia, however, is a difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep even when there is ample opportunity to sleep. Insomnia is often linked with other conditions like restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and mental health issues.

As per experts, sleep deprivation has more adverse ill effects on health as compared to chronic insomnia.

Sleep plays an important role in regulating the major systems of the body, poor sleep has been associated with long term adverse effects on health including poor cardiovascular health, chronic inflammation, loss of immunity, hormonal imbalances and poor mental health.

Why is it more dangerous to be sleep deprived?

Sleep deprivation occurs when something outside the person prevents them from sleeping. It could expose to light, loud sounds, street noise, pending work, and other distractions of the same sort. This results in the person not taking optimum sleep as required by the body. 

Sleep is primarily spread across four stages, including, two phases of light sleep where the body temperature drops, breathing rate slows down and muscles relax. Next in line is the deep or restorative sleep and the fourth stage is the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) where most of the dreaming occurs. 

Sleep cycles can vary from person to person. The duration in which a person covers all these stages can also vary. Ideally, most sleep cycles on an average take up 90 minutes each. 

As per experts, in insomnia, the brain gets adapted to covering these phases in a shorter period of time. It means a person’s sleeping needs have changed. So a person with chronic insomnia has adjusted the high quality sleep hours into a shorter period of time. Because insomnia is usually chronic, it gives the body the time to adapt, hence posing lesser adverse effects.

Sleep deprivation, however, comes with a serious cost if left untended. The reason is a person has not adapted to the sudden change in the sleep cycle and is missing out on deep sleep hours important for restorative functions.

Signs you are sleep-deprived

Sleep deprivation is associated with significant health consequences:

• Hypertension

• Type 2 diabetes

• Metabolic disorders

• Kidney disease

• High Cholesterol

• Chronic inflammation

• Mood irregularities

• Poor judgement

In fact, 72-hours without sleep is associated with symptoms that resemble psychosis, with some reporting hallucinations, impaired speech and risky behaviour. In some extreme cases, acute sleep deprivation can cause severe cardiac stress.