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Short- and Long-Term Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation has serious health impacts, both in the short and long term. The main effect of sleep deprivation is excessive daytime sleepiness, which can lead to traffic accidents and workplace injuries. Sleep deprivation has both short- and long-term impacts on your health.

Short-term:

Anxiety
Drowsiness, leading to drowsy driving
Forgetfulness
Distractibility
Decreased performance and alertness
Memory and cognitive impairment
Stressed relationships
Occupational injury
Automobile injury

Long-term:

High blood pressure
Heart attack
Stroke
Obesity
Psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders
Disruption of bed partner's sleep quality
Poor quality of life