If the simple fact of having a poor-quality rest is devastating for our productivity the next day, the consequences can be even worse when we avoid bed altogether. What happens to our body once we go 24 hours without sleep? In an ideal case, no one should reach such extremes, but such sleep loss leads us to fail in practically every aspect, and the worst part is that we don't realize it.
As someone who has slept a grand total of three and a half hours before starting this text, I can safely say that lack of sleep is one of the most challenging problems for anyone. Unfortunately, the solution is not just putting your head on the pillow, but beyond insomnia, we also have to consider needs and responsibilities that demand postponing the precious rest.
It goes without saying that each person suffers fatigue differently; however, today we have a fairly solid idea of what happens in the body when we extend our sessions beyond the recommended 16 hours.
What happens when you stay up all night
One of the first things we lose along the way is the ability to think clearly, especially after passing the 17-hour mark. At that point, the body develops cognitive restrictions equivalent to having 0.08 percent blood alcohol, a rate that (for example) exceeds the limit allowed in Spain.
Our internal chemistry tries to compensate by increasing cortisol production, which, while it has very important functions, translates into greater irritability, tension, and confusion. Hand-eye coordination falls apart, and there is a significant deterioration in decision-making.
Once you reach 24 hours without sleep, the aforementioned 0.08 percent equivalent becomes 0.1 percent. The immune system works with more difficulty, and body pains become sharper.
Still, the riskiest thing is that we don't fully recognize our limitations. The brain comes to the rescue with the help of nothing less than dopamine, causing a temporary feeling of euphoria and renewal, but at the same time it tries to save energy, triggering a series of "microsleeps" that last up to 30 seconds in the worst cases, and increase in frequency beyond 24 hours.
This is not an exaggeration: If the idea is to spend the whole night studying with intravenous coffee, I can understand it… but lack of sleep kills. In the United States alone, between 2009 and 2013, at least 72,000 accidents associated with drowsy drivers were recorded, causing more than 800 deaths. Don't become part of a statistic.
