sleep and body

Sleep Deprivation Psychosis

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Sleep Deprivation Psychosis

By Madison Gesualdo

Remember that episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit where Sarah Hyland gave us an Oscar-worthy performance as a genius prep school student, Jennifer Banks, who attacked her roommate because of their academic rivalry? During the trial, the defense was able to prove diminished capacity on Jennifer’s behalf, meaning that Jennifer’s impaired mental state at the time of the crime prevented her from fully controlling her violent actions. Jennifer, who had been taking a form of modafinil that allowed her to stay awake for six consecutive days before she committed her crime, was suffering from sleep deprivation psychosis. Because the defense was able to prove this, she was able to plead guilty to her crime on a lesser charge and was only sentenced to seven years in prison at the conclusion of the episode.

Let’s talk about sleep deprivation psychosis from a clinical standpoint. On the show, it is mentioned that being awake for 17 hours is similar to having a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05% – that’s legally impaired in the state of Utah, even though the federal limit is 0.08%. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health corroborates this finding, adding that being awake for 24 hours is the equivalent of having a BAC of 0.10%. Now, imagine Jennifer’s psychological state after being awake for 144 hours without a minute of sleep, running off of a stimulant drug designed to block dopamine receptors and consequently increase the body’s overall levels of dopamine. It’s no wonder that her memory of the encounter with her roommate was hazy at best.

According to a 2018 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, sleep-loss developments such as hallucinations and perceptual distortions can occur in individuals with no history whatsoever of psychiatric issues. This study essentially found that the more time a person spends awake, the more he or she will progress towards a state of psychosis. Symptoms such as anxiety, disorientation, and depersonalization began after 24 – 48 hours without sleep, evolving into disordered thinking and complex hallucinations after 48 – 90 hours without sleep. Once a person reached the 72 hour-mark without sleep, the study claimed, his or her psychological state resembled that of toxic delirium or acute psychosis.

If an individual is experiencing insomnia, anxiety, depression, or any other conditions that can lead to a deficiency in proper sleep, he or she should seek help immediately. A wide variety of intervention methods and medications are available to help gradually regulate an individual’s sleep-wake cycle and prevent cognitive impairment resulting from sleep deprivation. Make sure to speak with a mental health professional to see what options are available to you.

If you or someone you know is struggling with sleep, anxiety, or mental health, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit https://aristapsychiatrypsychotherapy.com/

References:

Davis, C. (Writer). (2009). Hothouse (Season 10, Episode 12). [TV series episode]. In D. Wolf (Executive producer), Law & order: Special victims unit. Hulu. https://hulu.com

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2020, March 31). Impairments due to sleep deprivation are similar to impairments due to alcohol intoxication. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod3/08.html#print

Waters, F., Chiu, V., Atkinson, A., & Blom, J.D. (2018). Severe sleep deprivation causes hallucinations and a gradual progression toward psychosis with increasing time awake. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 303. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00303

Sleep Difficulties? Here are 5 questions that will Help You Figure Out Why.

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By Sally Santos

We all have gone through this. We have had a long day and we can’t wait to get in to bed to rest. But the moment you rest your head on the pillow you find yourself wide awake and staring at the ceiling. So then you ask yourself “why can’t I fall asleep?” Consider these 5 questions:

Do you take your phone to bed?

  • We spend all day with our phones tending to every notification that we receive. That can become a habit. So when you bring your phone to bed and you see your phones light up you are going to want to see what it is. So every night before you go to bed try to keep your phone away from your bed or at least set it on Do Not Disturb Mode. This ensures that your phone won’t ring for every notification

How much caffeine are you drinking?

  • If you are someone who consumes a lot of caffeine during the day and find yourself not being able to sleep at night consider consuming less caffeine or stop completely.

What do you do during the evening?

  • Avoid having a late meal. If you eat right before you go to bed that might keep you awake because your body is working on digesting your food.
  • If you are someone who works out try working out earlier because after you work out you may have increased energy and that may prevent you from sleeping at night.
  • If possible try avoiding difficult conversations before bed.

How are you using your bed?

  • If you are someone who works or studies in bed, you may be confusing your body. Instead of your body associating your bed as a place for rest it is associating it as a place of work.

Is there something specific that you are worried about?

  • Maybe you are going through a stressful situation and the thought of it is keeping you up at night. Try learning a relaxation method such as breathing gently or meditation.
  • If the situation is serious seek professional help you problem-solve the situation. You might be helped by relaxation techniques, hypnosis or sleep medication.

Source:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prescriptions-life/201901/how-calm-your-racing-mind-so-you-can-sleep

Image:

https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/no-sleep

If you or someone you know is having sleep issues, speak with one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and psychotherapists. Contact us at our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 respectively to set up an appointment. For more information, visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/.