What is sleep deprivation? Plus, 11 tips to help you cope
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
When you don’t get enough sleep, everything can feel hard. Learn about the physical and mental effects of sleep deprivation and 11 tips to help you take care of yourself.
Is there any feeling worse than being beyond tired? You’re half-asleep (or maybe it’s half-awake) and half-running on fumes (or half-caffeinated?), and you’re trying to remember if you actually hit send on that email.
Maybe you’re a new parent who’s awake every couple of hours with a newborn. Or maybe it’s the never-ending work stress that’s making you feel like you’re dragging. No matter the cause, the result is the same: a bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of coffee can fix.You may feel unbalanced, unfocused, and stretched thin.
If you’re feeling the weight of too many sleepless nights, there are ways to find relief. Let’s break down what sleep deprivation is, how it affects your body and mind, and some tips to help you find rest wherever you can.
What is sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation occurs when you don’t get enough rest to meet your body’s needs. Sometimes this is because of a clinical sleep disorder like insomnia. But many times, it’s caused by simply not getting enough quality hours of sleep.
People can experience sleep deprivation after staying up late one night for a deadline or waking up in the middle of the night with a sick child. They can also experience it chronically over time with issues like stress or shift work that consistently don’t allow for proper rest.
This sleep debt can then start to show up in subtle ways that can affect your thinking, mood, and physical health.
7 symptoms of sleep deprivation
The signs of sleep deprivation can sneak up on you, especially if you’re used to just powering through. Here are seven early indicators that your body might need to rest:
Brain fog and slow thinking: Trouble concentrating, finding words, or having a mental haze is a big sign that you’re not getting enough sleep.
Mood changes: Irritability, low motivation, anxiety, and sudden emotional reactions can all be linked to sleep loss.
Poor memory: Sleep plays a major role in organizing memories. This means your short-term and long-term memory recall can suffer if you’re not getting quality sleep.
Low energy and motivation: Everything feels harder, and your usual get-up-and-go energy is tougher to summon.
Impaired coordination: Sleep deprivation can affect your motor skills and reaction time. This can increase your clumsiness and your risk of accidents.
Increased cravings: When you don’t get enough sleep, your body's hunger hormones can be affected, sometimes leading to increased cravings.
Falling asleep unintentionally: If you start nodding off during meetings or zoning out mid-conversation, this could be a sign that you’re sleep-deprived.
What causes sleep deprivation?
Often, sleep deprivation is the result of circumstances outside of your control. Here are some of the more common reasons why people experience it:
Stress and anxiety: This can keep your mind in overdrive and make it a lot harder for you to fall or stay asleep.
Shift work and long hours: Jobs where you have to stay up late can disrupt your natural sleep-wake cycle.
Caregiving and parenting: Roles that involve broken sleep or delayed bedtimes can cause you to slowly become sleep-deprived.
Medical issues: Sleep apnea, chronic pain, and hormonal shifts can all disrupt your sleep by making it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Substances and medications: Caffeine, alcohol, and certain prescriptions can interfere with your sleep quality.
Environmental factors: Noise, light, and inconsistent routines can also lead to not getting enough rest.
6 physical and mental effects of sleep deprivation
To put it simply, you need sleep to function properly. When you don’t get enough of it, every system in your body has to work harder to make up for it. It can also affect your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Here are six ways sleep deprivation can impact you both physically and mentally:
1. Weakened immune system: Without proper sleep, your body produces fewer infection-fighting cells. And as a result, you’re more likely to catch colds and struggle to bounce back from illness.
2. Cognitive impairment: Sleep is critical for memory consolidation and mental clarity. Chronic sleep deprivation can slow down your thinking and even make it harder for you to concentrate.
3. Mood disorders and emotional sensitivity: Anxiety, irritability, and depressive symptoms can start to become more pronounced. You could find yourself more reactive and more emotionally fragile.
4. Increased risk of accidents: Sleep loss can affect your reaction time and motor skills. This makes drowsy driving and workplace mishaps much more likely.
5. Heart and metabolic issues: Ongoing sleep deprivation has been linked to high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and weight gain. It’s also connected to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
6. Hormonal and appetite disruption: Lack of sleep can increase hunger hormones and decrease fullness signals. This can lead to cravings and disrupted metabolism, especially when it comes to sugar and high-fat foods.
How to take care of yourself if you’re sleep-deprived: 11 tips to help you cope
If you’re sleep deprived, it’s going to take a bit of time before you’re feeling like yourself again. But with the right intentional steps, there are ways you can repair and protect your mental health in the process.
Here are 11 tips to care for yourself when your sleep tank is empty.
1. Reclaim wind-down time
Even just 10–15 minutes of intentional wind-down time can help signal to your body that sleep is coming.
To cue your nervous system that it’s safe to slow down, dim the lights, and shut off screens. You could also do something gentle, such as stretching, listening to calming music, or reading a paper book.
💙 Melt into sunset mode by listening to our Golden Hour Bossa Nova playlist.
2. Take short naps
If your schedule allows, take a 10–20 minute power nap. This can restore focus without leaving you groggy.
Set your alarm and go rest somewhere cozy. As a rule of thumb, aim to nap in the early afternoon so that it won’t interfere with your nighttime sleep.
3. Adjust your expectations
Cut back on non-essentials while you’re sleep-deprived. Keep your meals simple, postpone tasks that aren’t urgent, and don’t pressure yourself to be “productive” just for the sake of it.
Allow your body time to recalibrate and rest before pressuring yourself to get back to life as normal.
4. Stay hydrated and nourished
Sleep-deprived bodies tend to crave quick fixes like caffeine and sugar. It’s okay to lean on these a little, but try to pair them with foods that offer stable energy, like whole grains, protein, healthy fats, and plenty of water.
Some good snack options are oatmeal with peanut butter, boiled eggs and toast, and fruit with nuts.
💙 Heighten your awareness around what you’re putting into your body by listening to Tamara Levitt’s Mindful Eating Series.
5. Move your body
Exercise can help you sleep better at night. But go easy on yourself, especially when you’re not at full capacity.
You may opt for gentle or mindful movement: You could go for a walk around the block, do some light yoga, or even just stretch at your desk.
Read more: 7 simple movement exercises to boost your mental health
6. Limit caffeine in the afternoon
Caffeine can linger in your system for 10 hours or more, which means if you’re using it to power through the afternoon slump, it could be making your nighttime sleep worse.
To give yourself the best shot at sleep, have your last cup before 2pm. Then consider swapping to decaf or herbal tea later in the day.
7. Protect your sleep space
Make your bedroom as sleep-friendly as possible: Keep your bedroom cool, use blackout curtains, and put on a white noise machine to block out sound disruptions.
Read more: 6 tips you need to create the best sleep environment
8. Skip the doomscrolling
Give your brain a breather before bed by avoiding potential stressors coming from your phone.
Set a screen curfew 30–60 minutes before sleep, and avoid triggering content like news or work emails. Also, if you do need a transition, consider listening to a meditation or a calming playlist.
Read more: How to stop doomscrolling: 10 ways to break the habit
9. Keep a consistent sleep schedule
Sleeping at the same time every night and waking up at the same time each morning helps regulate your internal clock. So, set a bedtime and a wake-up time that works best for your schedule. This will make it easier to fall asleep and wake up over time.
10. Ask for help
If you’re sleep-deprived because you’re caring for others, working long shifts, or juggling too many roles, reach out and ask for help.
You could ask a partner to take an early morning shift or a friend to help run an errand. Remember, you don’t have to do it all on your own.
Read more: How to ask for help when you need it: 7 tips to gain confidence
11. Add “rest breaks” during the day
Even if sleep isn’t possible, intentional rest still matters.
To give yourself a break, consider doing a body scan or sitting outside with your eyes closed. Your body and brain need downtime.
What is sleep deprivation FAQs
Is sleep deprivation the same as insomnia?
Sleep deprivation and insomnia aren’t the same. While both involve disrupted sleep, they stem from different causes and have different treatments. Insomnia is a sleep disorder, which means you have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
On the flip side, sleep deprivation typically happens when something—like work, stress, or parenting—prevents you from getting enough sleep. It’s certainly possible to be sleep-deprived without having insomnia.
How can I tell if I’m sleep-deprived?
A good way to tell if you’re sleep deprived is if you feel consistently tired during the day, even after what seemed like a full night’s sleep. Other common signs are difficulty concentrating, irritability, forgetfulness, and microsleeps, which are split-second moments of nodding off without realizing it.
You could also notice that tasks take you longer, your mood feels less stable, and you’re more emotionally reactive than usual.
How many hours of sleep is considered sleep deprivation?
Most adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep per night to function well. If you regularly get less than six hours, it can slowly start to impact your cognitive abilities and your physical health.
That said, it’s not just about how long you’re asleep. It’s also about your sleep quality. Fragmented sleep, light sleep without deeper stages, and sleep affected by pain or stress can also leave you feeling deprived.
What are the long-term effects of sleep deprivation?
Chronic sleep deprivation may increase your risk for a wide range of health problems, like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. It’s also linked to depression and burnout.
When you consistently don’t get enough rest, your immune system can become less effective, and your memory and focus can decline. It can also compromise your ability to regulate emotions.
Can I catch up on sleep over the weekend?
You can catch up on sleep over the weekend to a certain extent. Recovery sleep can help you feel better in the short term. But sleeping in on weekends doesn’t fully erase the effects of chronic sleep deprivation during the week.
If anything, irregular weekend sleep can throw off your body’s circadian rhythm and make it harder to wake up on Monday morning. Instead of relying on weekend catch-up sleep, aim for consistency throughout the week, even if it’s just an extra 30 minutes a night.
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