As a sleep deprived society, it benefits us to know the effects of not getting enough shut-eye. The effects of poor sleep are many and varied. It can increase the risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease and obesity, as well as being a contributing factor is roughly 40,000 road accidents every year. This is all very bad, but it's a bit of a slow-burner for our short attention spans, so how long does it take to actually die from sleep deprivation? Whilst there's never been a formal scientific study for this, what with the moral grey area of killing you test subject, a condition known as Fatal Familial Insomnia has revealed that it is in fact possible to die from lack of sleep. It's about four months. This rare condition renders its sufferers incapable of sleep. Beginning with insomnia and anxiety, the sufferer becomes increasingly disoriented and unresponsive. Blood pressure and heart rate rocket and cognitive function shuts down. Although sleep is still very poorly understood, the cause of death for people with FFI really does seem to be lack of sleep, as opposed to another aspect of the disease.
