Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

At what point does sleep deprivation become a problem?

Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Jul 6, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation becomes a problem when it starts to affect your health and performance in waking life. Not getting enough sleep can leave you vulnerable to sickness due to the importance of sleep for maintenance of the immune system. Besides that, mentally you may not be up to certain tasks, and it can be dangerous when you're tired or lacking concentration while driving or doing anything risky.
Having trouble sleeping well?
Take the Free Wellness Quiz
Gain insight & track progress for anxiety & depression
Talk to a Licensed Therapist
Online chat & video therapy at your fingertips
Help keep 7 Cups free

Takes less than a minute. Keeps 7 Cups free for someone else.

A small contribution goes straight to keeping the community running.

Profile: WhoMadeHerCaptain
WhoMadeHerCaptain on Jun 9, 2018
...read more
Sleep deprivation is always a problem, but the more sleep deprived you are the bigger a problem it becomes. Sleep deprivation causes many problems such as constantly feeling tired, not being able to focus, not being able to think, and not being able to remember things. If you are 6-13 years old, try to get 9-11 hours of sleep. If you are 14-17 try to get 8-10 hours of sleep. If you are 18-64 try to get 7-9 hours of sleep. If you are 65 years old or older, try to get 7-8 hours.
Profile: MoonlitHaze
MoonlitHaze on Jul 14, 2016
...read more
Almost right away. You may be able to function, but not to your best ability, even from ONE day of lack of sleep.. It depends what you define as a problem. From one day of bad sleep you will perform slower, physically and mentally. The more constant you deprive yourself of sleep the more apparent these effects are. Sleep Deprivation can lead to depression, bad eating habits (also weight changes, usually gaining), and just overall a less functional daily schedule. Sleep is VERY important. Some say our sleep helps us store the information we've consumed throughout the day. Lack of sleep is very closely linked to poor concentration and memory. It also makes you more vulnerable to becoming ill. If you are having persistent issues with sleeping I recommend you consult your doctor sooner rather than later. Sometimes a simple vitamin such as Melatonin (which is safe and 100% natural) is all it takes to get back on schedule :) Hope this helps!
Profile: Missionmagic101
Missionmagic101 on Aug 4, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation becomes a problem when you start to feel like you can't process the information your brain receives correctly. When you start to feel desoriented and out of reality, then it really is a problem. But don't forget, every problem has a solution :)
Profile: Ady23
Ady23 on Apr 5, 2017
...read more
Sleep deprivation can be a serious issue that can effect many areas of your life. An 'average' adult should be getting between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Now, everyone is different so some people may need more and some may need less. But if you are sleeping less than 5 hours consistently or going days without sleep it is best to contact a Doctor and discuss these issues with them.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Jul 6, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation becomes a problem when you can no longer function normally because of dizziness, nausea and sluggishness in times when you need to be awake. Our body, like machines, needs rest. Failure to do so would result into sickness.
Profile: EmmaDilemma515
EmmaDilemma515 on Jul 9, 2016
...read more
When it's effecting your mental abilities and your mental health. When you can't think straight or see straight. If you feel emotionally unstable. There are a lot of things that can come out of sleep deprivation.
Profile: GentleWaves
GentleWaves on Jul 30, 2016
...read more
I would say when it significatly interfers with your daily functioning and allertness it can cause problems to yourself and others due to diminished attention, memory and lack of concentration, increased fatigue and confusion or clumsiness. It might put you and others at risk if you are on road or not noticing dangers around you with quick enough reactions, but also in the long term diminish the strength of your body-mind (depression, hallucinations, headaches, etc), so would prefer treating it before it gets too serious
Profile: viictoriia
viictoriia on Nov 19, 2017
...read more
sleep deprivation is never healthy – the word deprivation itself has negative connotations. however, most people can function normally with less than the recommended number of hours of sleep (about 8-10 for teens, 7-9 for adults) and only start to realize that it's a problem when the lack of sleep affects their daily life in more major ways. these can include a less sharp memory, a shorter attention span and being generally more lethargic. sleep deprivation is always a problem but has many varying degrees of severity. it's best to curb it early before it starts to negatively impact your life.
Profile: jovialMermaid84
jovialMermaid84 on Jul 17, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation is a sign of an imbalance with your health, that can be either physical or mental, or both. If you are having trouble sleeping, it's best to address it from the beginning, rather than allowing opportunity for the issue to deepen and become worse.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Aug 7, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation becomes a problem when it is affecting your daily life. Maybe at school or work. I would suggest seeing a doctor if so.
Profile: BronaghC
BronaghC on Aug 12, 2016
...read more
To the point where you get less sleep than needed. *cough 8hours* but of course nobody really follows that, so mainly once you actually feel groggy, poor, sluggish in the morning when you wake up. Even a couple hours less than normal in the long run can cause health problems and damages to the brain. If you physically find it really hard to sleep then you should visit a doctor ASAP.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Aug 14, 2016
...read more
When you start losing energy and you cannot make it through the day. Actually, that makes it a problem right from the start.
Profile: GermanZebraCupcake
GermanZebraCupcake on Sep 2, 2016
...read more
It can become an immediate problem actually. After one day of bad rest, our ability to feel full or hungry will be affected. Each day that passes without good sleep will lead to even worse symptoms such constant moodiness and even hallucinations.
Profile: Peyton17
Peyton17 on Jul 7, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation becomes a problem when it interferes with your daily life and success. If you find that you are too tired to put your priorities in place, then something must change. Know what your priorities are (school, work, family, friends) and if you discover that you are putting any of those things off or saying no to those things because you are too tired, make a change.
Profile: TheGlovedOne
TheGlovedOne on Jul 8, 2016
...read more
When you cannot complete daily tasks, such as reading a short article. This makes your lack of sleep interfere with your daily life.
Profile: Armanta
Armanta on Jul 9, 2016
...read more
Whenever your lack of sleep is clearly affecting your day to day life. Whether it's causing a decrease in physical function meaning you cannot do your daily activities. Or if it is a decrease in mental function and causes mood swings etc.
Profile: Remina
Remina on Jul 10, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation becomes a problem when it lasts for several days with no solution as well as when you find yourself feeling very tired but unable to sleep.
Profile: PatientOwl
PatientOwl on Jul 12, 2016
...read more
Sleep deprivation becomes a problem when it starts to affect your day to day activities and stops you from functioning. It can seriously affect your concentration, making you a lot more vulneralable to the dangers around you.
Profile: sereneMelody54
sereneMelody54 on Jul 15, 2016
...read more
When it interferes with your daily tasks. When you can no longer do the things that you enjoy doing.
Share a Helpful Insight
Sharing helps others and its therapeutic for you.
0/150 Minimum Characters
0/75 Minimum Words