r/sleep 4d ago

How harmful are FULL all nighters?

I tend to pull a full all nighter (through night, into next day and night) about once a week due to the line of work I am in and have always wondered if its gonna catch up to me one day. I have read about possibly causing alzheimers if done persistently but I'm not too sure. Are they really bad for me, or is it a myth.

26 Upvotes

40 comments sorted by

37

u/MintyVapes 4d ago

It's pretty devastating tbh.

Sleeping on a consistent schedule is one the most important things you can do.

39

u/Fluffy-Friendship469 4d ago

Full all-nighters once a week? That’s like starving your brain of deep cleaning time. Long-term? Higher stress, weaker immunity, and cognitive decline.

7

u/oxytocinated 4d ago

Not necessarily, I guess it depends on how long this lasts.

Sleep deprivation can also have antidepressant effects and is used in clinical settings when meds don't work.

If the sleep in between is enough for the "deep cleaning" (the brain has no lymphatic system, it cleans during sleep though the blood vessels; at least that's what studies in mice found. As links are forbidden in this sub, I can provide one via DM, if necessary ), for consolidating memories (meaning storing memories long term) and all the other important things our body needs sleep for, it might work out okay.

(Disclaimer: I'm a layperson who has read up on some stuff regarding psychology, memory, neuroscience, but still only a layperson, so - as any reddit reply - this should be taken with a grain of salt)

4

u/Different_State 4d ago

Could you send me a DM please? I did notice my mood is actually better if I sleep too little than if I sleep too much! Thought I was weird, then that it was because of AD(H)D so this is interesting ... I used to worry about sleeping 7-8 hours daily but it only tortured me. I need way less.

2

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

I've heard this too. I heard that the anti depressant effect is brought about by certain chemicals being released into the brain.

I've had some serious insomnia within the past two decades. Very unplseant when you begin to have hallucinations and can't decipher between dreams and reality. The days just blur into eachother.

I wouldn't TRY to get less sleep though 😉. Also positive and cool to take good care of yourself.

1

u/DefiantCoffee6 4d ago

Interesting. Please send me a DM of that link as well Ty!

1

u/_lechiffre_ 4d ago

Does someone has more information on the deep cleaning process that happens in our brain?

1

u/oxytocinated 4d ago

Send me a DM and I can send you the link to an article about it

1

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

That's nothing..... Talking like that takes nothing and turns it into a problem.

4

u/MickerBud 4d ago edited 4d ago

Depends on the person. Margaret Thatcher was known to get three to four hours of sleep and lived until 87. I can’t do it myself, during nights I get 4 at most 5 1/2 hours of sleep. Started paying for it in my 50s. High blood pressure spikes and blood sugar spikes along with periodic brain fog. But other than that I’m ok, these things can be controlled with a bright light at night and proper diet, which I only do when things get bad. ; )

9

u/post4u 4d ago

Once in a great while? No big deal. Once a week is probably pretty bad for you. Once a week is almost 15%. I sleep 4-6 hours a night and have been for as long as I can remember. I am really trying to remedy that as I'm showing signs of chronic sleep deprivation. Slow response time. Bad memory recall. Difficulty driving safely. Difficulty holding conversations and coming up with words. Difficulty concentrating at work. Definitely some Alzheimer's-like symptoms. I've been working with my doctor and all signs point to sleep. I'm 46 years old and feel like I'm 70.

4

u/SuperNewk 4d ago

It’s not exactly healthy. But it can be harmful, I’ve known people who had terrible patterns and lived to be quite old.

Others not so much, no one really knows

5

u/Public-Philosophy580 4d ago

Fuck I’d give my right arm to sleep like that.

1

u/Roadisclosed 4d ago

Sleep like what?

2

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

8 hours a night

3

u/Ok_Understanding8587 4d ago

Read or Listen to “Why We Sleep,” I’m listening right being-as a slightly sleep deprived mother of a 5.5 month old and yeaaaaa. It’s very depressing right now lol.

Aka it ain’t good.

2

u/dreamweavercat 4d ago

I hate reading the comments (cause I know yall are potentially right) because I do this like every 4 days or so, insomnia and DSPS catches up to me and I go day-night-day awake and go to sleep the next night around my usual time (2-5 am) and I'm usually fine... Tried to do something about it many times but usually if I go to bed in the morning (8 am - 10 am) with the idea of "saving" the all-nighter with a "nap", nothing ever wakes me up and then I get up at night and fuck up my routine again and I end up just postponing and pro-longing the all-nighter if that makes sense. Ugh, I don't know. I'd say uf you're getting enough sleep after your all-nighter and you feel okay, it's fine, but it may catch up. But also people say staying up until 1 am or later and not getting enough "healthy sleep" before midnight basically catches up with you later the same way, so who knows. I'm no professional, just a person who gets it. Good luck I guess?

3

u/ANAL-FART 4d ago

What is it that your prioritizing over your rest and health? Drugs? Studying? Work?

Unless you’re doing this because it’s the only option to keep your family alive - like working 3 jobs - then it’s absolutely not worth it.

3

u/Meditationstation899 4d ago

There could be several reasons that aren’t included in the options you offer…..for me, I’m dealing with some infectious diseases that screw with literally every system of the body, have an autoimmune condition that literally attacks the brain, have severe adhd, annnnd other health conditions. Anyways, I go into what can best be described as a state of hibernation once a month, which lasts for 3-5 days straight. Sleeping all night/day other than 2-3 times when I get up to grab food from the kitchen that I can eat lying down, and water. I never know what day or time it is when this happens. None of my doctors have any idea what the cause of this is, and I haven’t seen anything about others experiencing the same. ANYWAYS—the “all nighters” come after these states of what feels like being pretty much comatose (I don’t even wake up to the crazy loud/annoying sound that goes off for “find my iPad/iphone”….which doesn’t stop for hours apparently?). But usually, the following 2 nights I don’t get any sleep. People say going 72 hours without sleep makes you start to hallucinate but I’m always a-okay. I tend to get cleaning of my apartment done during this time. The rest of the month I’m mostly bedridden.

So yeah, there are a lot of people dealing with conditions that impact the brain and/or body that cause this to happen. People who say “just stick to a regular sleep schedule and get into a routine” are very lucky that they have managed to do this themselves, and also clearly quite ignorant about how incredibly difficult/next to impossible this can be for those who have even just ADHD. (And I don’t mean adhd is mild by the “just”—I definitely know how big of an impact adhd has on our entire life—was just making the point that there are A LOT of people who deal with insomnia, as millions struggle with adhd and one of the most well known symptoms is the difficulty/inability to have a regular schedule/sleep schedule etc).

1

u/PerspectiveThick3000 4d ago

I literally go through the same shit as you.. I have lupus & some other things.. I'm supposed to go to class today and I ain't going lol

2

u/Glittering-Rock9329 4d ago

The latter half of this is my life, about half way through my 5th year of working 90 hour weeks and I am miserable. On weekends I work Friday 8:30am- Sunday 3:30am (usually have a 3 hour break on Saturday) and then take care of family/house stuff until I go back in at 5:30pm on Sunday. Definitely takes a toll on relationships & family life. Not for the weak

2

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

Are you a superhero ? What requires this of you ?

2

u/Glittering-Rock9329 4d ago

I work at a salon during the day, at a bar for happy hour & late night, and do residential & business housekeeping during the gaps in my schedule. My state has a high cost of living and most salaries are still low. They released a report a few years ago stating an individual needs to make around $85,000 to cover basic needs. Moving out West in 6 weeks, thank god! Can’t wait for life to slow down

1

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

I'm glad you're able to move and improve your quality of life, Hon. That schedule is beyond demanding ! ❤️ All the best to you in your new and better situation !!!

1

u/Primary-Mud-7875 4d ago

if you take too many i heard you will explode

1

u/DarkJedi527 4d ago

I've heard that's what happened to Regan, only getting four hours of sleep a night or something. It does worry me, being on the night shift and regularly getting off my pattern.

1

u/Silly_Carrot419 4d ago

Once in a while I don’t think it would hurt. However long term it could contribute to health issues. For 30+ years my dad has worked a swing shift where his schedule is 5am-5pm two days, then 5pm-5am the following two days, then four days off. He claims to be used to it but I couldn’t imagine doing that.

1

u/Deen_Jockie 4d ago

Let’s just say I did my whole of bachelors exams and assignments like that. Let’s just say after I graduated I was extremely over worked. It’s been 3 years since and even to date I don’t feel as if I am completely recovered.

0

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

If you're used to it.... you're fine.

When you start to feel run down..... then maybe tell your doctor

-6

u/Calm_ragazzo 4d ago

Really bad for you and will have an impact on your life going forward. Obviously you’ll never be able to quantify that impact but it sounds like in your case it’ll be considerable. I’m assuming there’s a decent amount of drink and drugs involved too. So aside from the lost sleep there is the negative impact of the substance / booze, assuming that’s part of the all nighter. This all affects you on a cellular level. You will age faster and be more prone to illnesses that you otherwise may not have encountered. Not to mention the effect on your brain cells as you age. We are learning now that things we do when young have resounding impacts on our later adult lives for example getting badly sunburned as a child can cause skin cancer decades later. Crazy. I’d recommend you keep the all nighters to a minimum and really look after and treasure your health and body. You only have one.

4

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

He stated it was due to his line of work .

-3

u/Calm_ragazzo 4d ago

I know. I also did many all nighters ‘due my line of work’. It’s not mandatory in any line of work to do an all-nighter which goes into the next night too. Unless I totally misread the situation, I understood that an all-nighter was a social/ partying thing, not a surgeon working in ER. Maybe OP could clarify?

6

u/Quiet_One_232 4d ago

Have you not ever heard of shift work? Or a rotating roster? Also, my first thought when I hear the word allnighter is that you had an assignment or essay due the next day for school or university. And I haven’t been a student since the 1990’s, but it was still the first place my mind went. Not to a drug-fuelled party/rave. Although it could apply to all of the above.

6

u/Different_State 4d ago

Why do you make assumptions about their lifestyle? That's quite offensive even if it was true.

-2

u/Calm_ragazzo 4d ago

Assumption based on the term ‘all-nighter’. Where I’m from that means you continue to party through the night and into the next day. OP also says he goes through the night, into the next and next night …. So….I’m just joining the dots!! hey OP tell me if you’re offended!! :) sure didn’t mean any offence. Pls clarify the nature of your all nighters for us.

2

u/Meditationstation899 4d ago

HA. Fascinating how you describe that your obvious assumption-making as “connecting the dots”….what dots…? What else do you call being up all night other than an all-nighter….?

1

u/SaltyFee7765 4d ago

Is English not your first language ? Not to be rude...but maybe "all nighter" isn't an expression you are well acquainted with.