Getting a good night’s sleep is hard to come by for most people. Whether you have to wake up for school or work, your alarm has become your dream’s worst nightmare. Finding out about the side effects will make you think twice about skipping out on tonight’s z’s.
During a regular day we are awake for at least 14 hours. Within that timeframe your body is able to adapt to its environment and function normally (although afternoon naps are always welcome). As we go beyond that point, however, functions seem to wane.
After 18 hours of staying up, your driving skills are comparable to those of someone with a 0.05% blood alcohol content. During this period there’s also an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Pulling all nighters is a common theme in colleges. This is especially true for medical students, considering how much work they have to do before they graduate. Unfortunately, staying up and cramming is counterproductive. After a full day of no sleep, learning abilities get significantly hampered which makes studying efforts futile.
Researchers are unwavering in their findings: you need a certain amount of sleep in order to lead a healthy life. So next time you’re running late with that paper, just turn your computer off and go to bed. Science has your back.
