We all miss out on sleep now and then, but if you’re consistently losing out on shut-eye, it could lead to a health problem called sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation means you’re not getting enough good quality sleep in the long term. For adults, this typically means falling short of the recommended seven to nine hours nightly. When that happens regularly, it can lead to distressing symptoms and make existing health problems worse.
The good news is, sleep deprivation can usually be treated by addressing the underlying cause.
Sleep deprivation symptoms can get progressively worse as time goes on. Early sleep deprivation symptoms may include:
Daytime sleepiness
Fatigue
Weakness or decreased physical strength
Decreased ability to fight infections or getting sick more often
Common sleep disorders linked to sleep deprivation include:
Insomnia, a condition causing problems falling asleep and staying asleep
Sleep apnea, a condition causing frequent incidences of shallow or stopped breathing while asleep
Restless leg syndrome (RLS), a condition causing an overwhelming urge to move the legs, usually to make unpleasant sensations like tingling or itching go away
Circadian rhythm disorders, conditions involving disruptions to the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), which in turn can throw off your sleep schedule
Parasomnias, or disruptive sleep disorders like sleepwalking
Other health-related factors may also increase your risk for sleep deprivation, including:
Doctors typically diagnose sleep deprivation by asking questions about health history, symptoms, and sleep habits. As mentioned, daytime drowsiness is a common sign of sleep deprivation; if you can fall asleep within five minutes of lying down during the daytime, you may have severe deprivation.
Because sleep deprivation treatment depends on the cause, doctors may order tests to diagnose underlying sleep disorders or other contributing factors. These may include:
Polysomnography This test, also known as a sleep study, detects pauses in breathing, a common sign of sleep apnea.
Actigraphy This noninvasive test tracks sleep patterns using a wearable device that detects movements while sleeping.
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) This testmeasures how quickly a person falls asleep during the day.
Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) This test estimates a person’s ability to resist falling asleep in dull situations.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) This test records brain waves and reveals unusual brain activity that could disturb sleep.
Doctors treat sleep deprivation by addressing its underlying cause. First, they often recommend tweaking your sleep habits to get better rest.
If improved sleep habits don’t work on their own, doctors may try to identify and treat underlying medical or mental health conditions that could be causing sleep deprivation. There are several treatment options.
Medication Options
Medication options for sleep deprivation may include over-the-counter sleep aids, prescription medications, or medications for mental health disorders.
Any sleep medications you receive may vary, but doctors don’t prescribe any for long-term use. Sleeping pills become less effective over time, can be habit-forming, and may disrupt sleep with prolonged use.
Over-the-Counter Antihistamines These medications induce sleepiness by blocking histamine in the brain, which is how the brain prepares the body for sleep naturally. They include:
diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
doxylamine succinate
Prescription Sleeping Pills These drugs offer stronger effects but are typically for short-term use. These include Z-drugs, benzodiazepines, and mental health medications.
Z-Drugs (Nonbenzodiazepine Benzodiazepine Receptor Agonists) These drugs help induce sleep by slowing down brain activity: They include:
zaleplon (Sonata)
zolpidem tartrate (Ambien)
zolpidem tartrate extended-release (Ambien CR)
eszopiclone (Lunesta)
Benzodiazepines These drugs signal a brain chemical called GABA to lower anxiety, relax muscles, and cause drowsiness. Doctors prescribe them less often now due to their habit-forming potential. They include:
clonazepam (Klonopin)
lorazepam (Ativan)
temazepam (Restoril)
Mental Health MedicationsAntidepressants and antipsychotics may help improve sleep by causing drowsiness in those with certain mental health conditions. Although they’re not all specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for insomnia, they’re sometimes prescribed off-label for this condition. Examples include:
amitriptyline (Elavil)
nortriptyline (Pamelor)
trazodone (Desyrel)
mirtazapine (Remeron)
quetiapine (Seroquel)
doxepin (Silenor), which is also FDA-approved for insomnia
Breathing Support
Different forms of breathing support can help if your sleep deprivation is caused by sleep apnea. Mild sleep apnea may improve with interventions like:
Weight loss
Positioning with different types of pillows
Mouthpieces that adjust the jaw
Airway-widening surgery
For mild to severe sleep apnea, positive airway pressure machines, like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), can be used to keep the airways open, which helps prevent both breathing issues while you sleep and frequent awakenings caused by breathing issues.
Complementary and Integrative Therapies
Some people may try certain complementary or integrative therapies to help them sleep better. For example, some try over-the-counter supplements like melatonin in hopes of improving sleep by regulating the sleep-wake cycle.Valerian, an herb, has been used as a sleep aid for centuries, but studies haven’t proven its effectiveness.
Doctors may recommend light therapy to help people with circadian rhythm disorders. This intervention uses strategic exposures to bright light to help regulate the body’s internal clock for better sleep.
Always discuss complementary sleep therapies with a healthcare professional before trying them to make sure they’re safe for you.
Sleep deprivation can’t always be prevented, especially if it’s associated with a medical condition or sleep disorder. But you can try to prevent temporary sleep deprivation through certain lifestyle changes.
As mentioned, lifestyle and sleep habit changes can lower your risk for sleep deprivation. Healthy sleep habits, or sleep hygiene, help promote high-quality sleep.
Set and Keep a Sleep Schedule
Your internal clock (circadian rhythm) tells your brain when it’s time to be awake and when to fall asleep. When you go to bed and wake up close to the same time each day (even on weekends), you help your circadian rhythm function better.
Set Up a Welcoming Sleep Space
You’ll sleep best in a cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable environment. Turn your thermostat down at night, get some room-darkening shades, and invest in soft bedding. To block out sudden noises, try a sound machine or white noise app on your phone.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol Before Bed
Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt your sleep. While caffeine may provide a quick energy boost, it can stay in your system for several hours. Everyone reacts differently to caffeine, so you may need to experiment with your cutoff time.
Allowing your body a few hours to process alcohol can improve sleep. Be sure to avoid nightcaps and have drinks with dinner instead.
Build In Some Wind-Down Time
In the hour before you go to bed, wind down by dimming lights, turning off screens, and trying a warm bath or mindfulness exercises.
Exercise Daily
Exercising for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day can help you sleep better at night. But try to avoid exercising too late in the day, or it may keep you buzzing too close to bedtime. It’s usually best to do so at least five to six hours before bedtime.
Avoid Over-Napping
Limit daytime naps to 20 minutes and take them before the afternoon to avoid impacting your nighttime sleep. Naps that are too long or too late in the day can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
Sleep deprivation is often treatable and can improve quickly in some cases. Outcomes vary depending on the severity, duration, underlying cause, and other health conditions.
For example, sleep deprivation from jet lag often resolves quickly with good sleep habits, while sleep apnea-related deprivation may require longer treatment to see improvement.
When sleep deprivation goes on for too long, it can affect your daily life. Complications of ongoing, severe sleep deprivation include:
Accidents (The U.S. sees about 6,000 fatal car crashes per year due to drowsy driving.)
Sleep deprivation affects 50 to 70 million adults in the United States, and almost every person in the world experiences sleep deprivation at least once in their life. Older adults typically get less deep sleep than younger adults, and about half of people age 65 and older report sleeping problems.
Although older adults tend to sleep lighter than younger adults, recent research shows that 20 percent of people 25 to 45 years old often sleep 90 minutes less per night than what they need. Experts think the societal shift toward a “24/7” culture (expectations of availability around the clock) and easy access to electronic devices could be causing sleep deprivation in young adults.
Research also shows women often have more trouble falling and staying asleep than men. But sleep deprivation can affect anyone, and about 20 percent of U.S. adults get fewer than five hours of sleep each night.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more white adults than Black adults have difficulty staying asleep. Income plays a role as well; the CDC found that those with higher incomes fell asleep more easily than those with lower incomes.
Here are some conditions with symptoms that that mimic those of sleep deprivation.
Among adults, consistently getting less than seven hours of sleep may lead to daytime drowsiness, headaches, and difficulty concentrating, and increases your risk of serious health conditions like heart disease.
Addressing the underlying cause of sleep deprivation is key to effective treatment, which may include improved sleep hygiene or medical intervention.
While some over-the-counter supplements like melatonin may help in the short-term, it’s important to discuss any complementary therapies with your doctor before trying them to make sure they’re the most helpful option for you.
If you think you may be sleep deprived, let your doctor know. They can help you develop a personalized treatment plan to improve your sleep quality.
