Lack of sleep kills faster than starvation – psychiatrists

Mental health experts say people not having enough sleep struggle to manage stress and overcome challenges.

They warned that sleep deprivation kills faster than starvation.

According to them, sleep deprivation negatively impacts human’s mental health, leading to lower alertness, poor concentration and hampers the ability to perform tasks that require logical reasoning.

The psychiatrists said lack of sleep also affects an individual’s mood, energy, and performance at work or school, noting that it could also affect the immune system, heart and brain health, sex drive, and ability to handle stress.

A general practitioner at Q-Impact Healthserve Limited, Dr. Olalekan Adelakun in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, said sleep deprivation due to one’s busy schedule was bad.

“It affects a person’s mental health. Lack of sleep kills faster than starvation and people who are not sleeping well lack the ability to handle stress.

“It’s better to have a-five minute sleep when one is feeling sleepy than to keep pushing, working at that point. Whatever such a person is doing when pressed for sleep amounts to waste of time as the level of concentration will drop.

“No matter what the situation is and the deadline you want to beat, sleep when it calls and continue your work. You need at least seven hours of sleep to help your body function well the next day. Don’t push sleep to do any work, instead sleep and wake up. It’s good for your mental alertness and health,” he advised.

Adelowo Adesina, another mental health expert corroborating his views said a body without sleep is prone to many illnesses and conditions that may impair the person’s mental health.

A family physician at the Anambra State Ministry of Health, Dr. Kings Okafor also affirmed that lack of sleep kills faster than starvation, arguing that while death by starvation is gradual, that of sleep is fast and immediate.

He said, “So, when you are in the mood of starvation, your body starts breaking down proteins from the muscle to generate energy.

“That is breaking down itself to generate energy for you to carry out your daily activities. That is why it leads to excessive loss of weight because the body is now breaking down itself to generate energy.

“Now, if starvation kills by gradual breaking down of the body parts, sleep will kill faster. For instance, increased blood pressure can kill instantly. If you lack concentration due to sleepiness, it may lead to an industrial accident and death in the office. If you are driving and sleeping, an auto accident kills instantly.

So, these conditions will kill you faster than starvation which occurs by gradual breaking down of the body proteins to build energy.”

The mental health expert noted that sleep deprivation has a wide range of negative effects that go beyond daytime drowsiness; saying that the effects of sleep deprivation can take a toll on many different aspects of a human’s body and mind.