• Question: What happens if i don't have enough sleep?

    Asked by to Jane, Anna on 19 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Anna Middleton

      Anna Middleton answered on 19 Mar 2014:


      Hi muthambulwan
      If you don’t have enough sleep over a long period of time it can make you quite ill. If you miss sleep on the odd night, that is no problem, but it is the long term sleep deprivation that isn’t great. This has been shown to be linked to depression and all sorts of mental health issues. It’s really important to get as much rest as you can.

    • Photo: Jane Charlesworth

      Jane Charlesworth answered on 19 Mar 2014:


      Not getting enough sleep can make people really ill. Scientists investigated this with cats (which I think is really cruel) and found that cats who weren’t allowed to sleep ended up seeing things that weren’t there and getting really stressed out. Sleep deprivation can also make people gain weight, because our brains send signals to our bodies saying we’re hungry and those can get messed up if we don’t sleep.

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