SLEEP IS YOUR SECRET WEAPON
THE
NO SLEEP
TIMELINE
If you’ve pulled an all-nighter studying for an exam or preparing for a presentation at work, you’re going to wish you didn’t. When you’ve gone 24 hours without any sleep, you’re not going to be able to think as clearly. In fact, your brain will work the same as someone with a blood alcohol content which is above the legal limit to be driving a motor car and you would now be convicted of a driving under the influence charge in most countries.
In addition to cognitive impairment,
you’ll experience the following:
Lack of good judgment and Impaired memory
Poor decision-making and lower attention span
A decrease in hand-eye coordination
Emotional tendencies and impaired hearing
Increase the risk of death from a fatal accident
A consecutive stint of 36 waking hours will start to negatively affect your physical health. Repeated exposure to this bad habit can lead to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and hormone imbalances. You may experience complete memory lapses and not remember what happened during these hours.
Two straight days of deprivation results in something called “microsleeps.” Even though the name sounds kind of cute, microsleeps are anything but. These are miniature blackouts that can last anywhere from half of a second to about 30 seconds. You won’t be aware that it’s even happening, but when you come to, you’ll be disoriented.
If you go three days straight without dozing, you’re liable to start experiencing hallucinations. In fact, your brain is struggling to keep it together. Concentrating, staying motivated, and even having a simple conversation will seem like strenuous mental tasks. Most people can feel the consequences of insufficient sleep: However, there are other consequences of poor sleep that aren’t always as obvious. For example, sleep deprivation can negatively affect your immune system. Research also suggests that sleep deprivation may lead to:
Symptoms can include:
Weight gain
High blood pressure
Cancer
Heart disease
Stroke
Diabetes
Bone loss (specifically in women)
Depression
SWITCH TO
SLEEP MODE
Sleeping
60 to 90
minutes more per night can make you happier and healthier.
Falling asleep takes on average
10-15 minutes.
If you pass out within a few minutes, it might mean you are sleep deprived.
REM Sleep
constitutes
20% of our total sleep time while the remaining
80% are non-REM sleep stages.
Sleep-deprived employees cost the South African economy over
R22 billion
in 2019.
According to a study conducted
by the University of Stellenbosch.
Almost 40%
of all car crash accidents and injuries are associated with sleep deprivation.
Over 10%
of surveyed adults said they use sleep trackers regularly, 12% said they use it occasionally, while 30% said they won’t use it.
54.1%
of adults prefer to sleep in the foetal position while 37.5% sleep on their back, even though it’s the healthiest position.
40%
of people age 40 to 59 reported that they are getting less than recommended amounts of sleep.
20%
of teenagers get less than 5 hours of sleep per night, while the average amount is 6.5 hours.
According to various
sleep expects teenagers should get
9 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night.
In 1942, South Africans had on average 7.9 hours of sleep per night compared to 6.8 hours in 2013, which is a 13% decrease!
8%
of South African adults use mobile apps to track sleep regularly and 9% occasionally while 31% declared they won’t use this type of app.
Source: Science of Sleep Institute
