Name: What would happen if you didn't sleep?
Uploaded: 2017-09-07T20:47:50Z
Duration: 4 min 19 s
Description: In the United States, it's estimated that 30 percent of adults and 66 percent of adolescents are regularly sleep-deprived. This isn't just a minor inconvenience: staying awake can cause serious bodily harm. Claudia Aguirre shows what happens to your body and brain when you skip sleep. [Directed by TED-Ed, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Carlos Palomares].

Claudia Aguirre: What would happen if you didn't sleep?

What would happen if you didn't sleep?

In the United States, it's estimated that 30 percent of adults and 66 percent of adolescents are regularly sleep-deprived. This isn't just a minor inconvenience: staying awake can cause serious bodily harm. Claudia Aguirre shows what happens to your body and brain when you skip sleep. [Directed by TED-Ed, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Carlos Palomares].

Sleep is essential for restoring the brain and body, not just a nightly ritual. After just a few days without sleep, people can become paranoid, struggle to remember basic facts, and even start hallucinating. Chronic sleep loss in large populations leads to higher rates of strokes, diabetes, and other serious health issues. Scientists are uncovering how sleep clears dangerous waste from the brain, making it vital for both mental and physical health.