What Is Sleep Deprivation?

Have you ever spent all night tossing and turning? Ending up sleepless and cranky the next day? Missing out on the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep will cause you to feel more than feeling groggy or grumpy. This is what is known as sleep deprivation. It can cause you to have memory issues, trouble with thinking and concentration.

Different specific age groups have different recommended sleep durations: 

• Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours each day
• Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours
• Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours
• Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours
• School-age children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours
• Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours
• Adults (18 to 64 years): 7 to 9 hours
• Older adults (over 65 years): 7 to 8 hours

Causes

• Personal choice – Some people don’t realize that the body needs adequate sleep. Instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour, they prefer staying up late.
• Illness – Illness such as colds and tonsillitis can cause snoring, gagging and frequent waking and effect directly on sleep
• Work – For jobs that have shifts or frequent travels can disrupt the sleep-wake cycles on a regular basis. Airline crew tends to have erratic sleeping patterns.
• Sleep disorder – This includes sleep apnea, snoring and periodic limb movement disorder can disturb a person´s sleep.
• Medications – To treat epilepsy or ADHD, the drugs that are used can cause insomnia.
• The sleeping environment – sleeping in an environment such as a room that is too hot or cold, noisy neighbors, and a snoring partner can disrupt your sleep.
• Poor sleep hygiene – Drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes closed to bedtime habit can stimulate the nervous system and makes you sleepless.
• Babies – Parents mostly experience sleep deprivation because their babies are frequently waking up in the night for feeding or comfort.

Symptoms

• Constant yawning
• Sleepy grogginess experienced all day long
• Poor concentration and mood changes
• Daytime naps
• Mood swings and irritability

Remember!

Not enough sleep or disruption to the sleep-wake cycle causes fatigue.  Getting enough sleep according to your age group’s requirement is crucial!