Insomnia is a sleeping condition which everyone seems to experience at some point. For many, it is more of an inconvenience that lasts days than an actual condition. However, there are those that suffer from chronic insomnia (usually a result of a different medical condition), which is a serious condition that can have severe adverse effects on a person, such as clinical depression. Naturally, this asks the question – is it possible for a person to die from insomnia?
According to Dr. Michael Thorpy and Dr. Shelby Freedman Harris at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, it is a common concern among people with insomnia that they can die from a lack of sleep. But surprisingly, it is possible for a person to die from insomnia. Fortunately, it is extremely rare for a person to actually die from insomnia.
The cause for concern is that a lack of sleep due to insomnia can be fatal. And there was a study performed on rats that showed the rats subjected to sleep deprivation for two to three weeks ended up dying as a result. However, sleep deprivation and insomnia are two completely different conditions, and it is quite uncommon for a person with insomnia to suffer from complete sleep deprivation.
There is a very rare genetic disorder known as FFI – fatal familial insomnia. It has been found in about 40 families world-wide and only effects about 100. It is caused by a neurological degeneration of the brain. It can lead to panic, anxiety, hallucinations, rapid weight loss, complete sleep loss, dementia and eventually death. It is extremely rare, and unless someone in your family suffered from fatal familial insomnia, it is highly likely that you will not develop this condition.
The real cause for concern is that chronic insomnia can make a person more susceptible to developing other, more serious medicals conditions. Long term insomnia has been linked to greater risks of depression and anxiety disorders, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and cancer.
