Although the average college student needs 8-9 hours of sleep each night, between school, studying and work, not enough students are getting the recommended amount of sleep. When a person does not acquire the sleep his or her body needs to function properly, sleep deprivation can occur.

Sleep deprivation is general lack of the necessary amount of sleep, and studies have reported that it affects tens of millions of adults each year.

Many students, as well as adults in general, do not see lack of sleep as a problem. However, scientific studies show that the side effects of sleep deprivation can be severe and abundant. The most common and simple side effects are aching muscles, blurred vision, daytime drowsiness, decreased mental activity and concentration, weakened immune system, dizziness, dark circles under eyes, fainting, general confusion, headache, impatience, irritability, memory lapses or loss, nausea, slowed reaction time, slurred speech, weight gain or loss and yawning.

Other side effects that can occur and become serious problems are cardiovascular disease, clinical depression, colorblindness, hallucinations, hand tremors, hernia, hyperactivity, hypertension, lucid dreaming, nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement) and psychosis.

Not only does sleep deprivation cause those side effects, but it also affects other parts of the body.

A 1999 study by the University of Chicago Medical Center showed that sleep deprivation affects the human body’s ability to metabolize glucose, which can lead to early-stage Type 2 Diabetes.

Sleep deprivation can also adversely affect brain function.

A 2000 study by the University of California in San Diego School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in San Diego monitored activity in the brains of sleep-deprived subjects performing simple verbal learning tasks.

The study showed that regions of the brain’s prefrontal cortez displayed more activity in the sleepier subjects. Depending on the task at hand, the brain would sometimes attempt to compensate for the adverse effects caused by lack of sleep.

The temporal lobe, which was active in the rested subjects, was not active in the sleep-deprived subjects. On the other hand, the parietal lobe was not activated in rested subjects, but was more active when the subjects were deprived of sleep. Memory performance overall suffered in the subjects who were sleep deprived.

Sleep deprivation may also affect growth, healing process, and obesity.