In the recent Ted-Ed lesson “What Would Happen If You Didn’t Sleep” featuring research by Claudia Aguirre and animated by Josephine Mark, the narrator explains what happens to the human body the longer it goes without sleep.
This isn’t just a minor inconvenience. Staying awake can cause serious bodily harm. When we lose sleep, learning, memory, mood and reaction time are affected. Sleeplessness may also cause inflammation, hallucinations, high blood pressure and its even been linked to diabetes and obesity.