Insufficient sleep promotes mood disorders, decreased physical and intellectual abilities, and the production of imbalances in the body.
In 2007, the Englishman Tony Wright set the record for sleep deprivation, with 266 hours of wakefulness or more than 11 days without closing his eyes. However, this “performance” was not recorded in the Book of Records, on the grounds that such “records” are dangerous to health. Randy Gardner had not slept for 264 hours in 1965.
If sleep deprivation exceeds 72 hours, significant cognitive impairments such as hallucinations, coordination problems, speech difficulties, apathy, and paranoia are felt.
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Sleep deprivation is not always a sufficient cause of death
A 1989 study showed that after sleep deprivation, guinea pigs died after 11 to 32 days. In humans, however, death from sleep deprivation is rare. In 2012, a 26-year-old Chinese man died after 11 consecutive days of insomnia, and death was favored by factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and extreme fatigue .
Fatal family insomnia, a rare disease
One of the strangest diseases of all time is fatal family insomnia. People with this disorder can no longer sleep for long periods of time, and eventually, end up in total exhaustion and death. The disease has a genetic substrate, so it is transmitted from generation to generation. With the help of tests, the researchers observed that fatal familial insomnia involves the presence of abnormal proteins in the brain (prions) caused by a genetic mutation.
Fatal familial insomnia usually occurs in adulthood, usually after age 50, and begins with drowsiness or excessive fatigue during the day. As the condition progresses, the person can no longer sleep and has all sorts of manifestations: locomotor problems, difficulties with balance and coordination, and unusual behavior. In the last stages, the person loses the ability to speak, swallows hard, and a vegetative state or coma sets in, eventually leading to death.
