In 2025, sleep is often as a luxury, but the truth is it's one of the most basic fundamentals of health alongside food, water, and oxygen. However, most people don't realize how vulnerable the human body is when sleep is removed. Pulling an all-nighter might be a badge of honor at college or in late-night work marathons, but physicians caution that even a full 24 hours of skipping sleep can have deep—and sometimes hazardous—impacts on the brain and body.

So what actually occurs when you don't sleep? And how does the damage intensify the longer you're awake?

What Happens 24 Hours Without Sleep?

If you've been up an entire day, your body is already stressed out. According to Dr. Michael Gartner, a surgeon who regularly speaks on health issues, 24 hours of being awake can have you as mentally disabled as a person over the legal limit for being under the influence.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts this state on par with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1 percent. To put this into perspective, most U.S. states set their legal driving limit at 0.08 percent. This means your reaction time, memory, judgment, and coordination are impaired to the extent of actual peril.

Activities that demand attention—such as driving, machine operation, or making important decisions—become dangerous. Others even experience slurred words, slowed thinking, and fatigue that lasts into the next day. One sleepless night won't ruin your health, but it does simulate inebriation in ways most people undervalue.

The Body Begins to Deteriorate After 36–48 Hours Of No Rest

Push beyond 24 hours, and the body starts to revolt. At 36 hours, your brain will attempt to impose short "microsleeps"—mini comas lasting only seconds but occurring without notice. These events make tasks such as driving or cooking particularly dangerous. As you edge toward 48 hours of being awake, the symptoms escalate:

• Excruciating exhaustion dominates.
• Hunger grows as the body demands rapid fuel.
• Blood pressure can remain elevated, taxing the cardiovascular system.
• The stress hormone, cortisol, saturates your system, heightening anxiety and emotional instability.

Physicians also advise that hallucinations and confusion may start on about the 48-hour mark. At this point, sleep deprivation is deemed "extreme" and mental health dangers are as worrying as physical dangers.

Hallucinations, Delusions, Paranoia Hits After 72 Hours Of No Sleep

By the third day without sleep, the line between reality and imagination starts to blur. Hallucinations can escalate into paranoia. Thoughts may become nonsensical, conversations may lose coherence, and delusions set in.

Your body also suffers in a physical way. Reaction time drops, coordination fails, and the immune system drops, leaving you at higher risk of infection. The need to sleep is almost irresistible, but some simply fight it, pushing themselves into a state of near-psychosis.

The most extended time without sleep ever recorded—11 days—was accomplished by a 17-year-old in the 1960s under close medical supervision. Although he lived through it with no permanent damage, physicians caution against repeating the experiment because the brain and body both do vast amounts of damage at this point.

The Brain Goes into Crisis After 96 Hours or More Without Sleep

By the fourth day, the brain is in emergency mode. Dr. Gartner explains that memory processing after 96 hours of sleep deprivation is similar to early Alzheimer's disease. Irritability is at its peak, and psychosis-like symptoms worsen.

Perception of reality distorts, causing dangerous behavior. In other instances, there are long-term effects such as the possibility of chronic insomnia development. For the majority of individuals, attaining this level of deprivation is not sustainable without severe health consequences.

Why Sleep Matters Beyond Just Rest?

Sleep is not idle time—it's a biological imperative. In deep and REM sleep, the brain strengthens memory, removes toxins, and manages emotions. The body, in turn, fixes tissues, releases growth hormones, and stabilizes key functions such as metabolism and the immune system.

Long-term sleep loss, even at less severe levels, has been tied to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and mood disorders. Without proper rest, cortisol and glucose regulation go haywire, setting the stage for metabolic disease.

And here's something important: you can't actually "catch up" on sleep during the weekend. Sleeping in on Saturdays and Sundays tends to confuse the body's internal clock, making individuals feel more tired and susceptible to insomnia.

When to Seek Medical Help?

It is normal for everyone to occasionally experience sleepless nights, but if sleep problems persist, they should never go unnoticed. If you are unable to sleep for hours, wake up and down all night long, or experience shifts in your mood and mental health, it might be time to see a doctor.

Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless leg syndrome are treatable but usually need a medical checkup. Your doctor may also eliminate underlying conditions, like thyroid disease or depression, that disrupt rest.

How to Develop Better Sleep Habits?

You don't have to spend money on fancy devices or supplements to sleep better. Opt for regular, science-supported habits instead:

• Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time even on weekends.
• Restrict caffeine to morning use.
• Limit screens an hour or more before bedtime to minimize blue light exposure.
• Make your bedroom dark, cold, and quiet, replicating natural sleep environments.
• Nap strategically, keeping naps brief and earlier in the day.
• Exercise regularly, but not extremely close to bed.
• Minor lifestyle changes can contribute significantly to breaking the cycle of sleep deprivation.

A single night of no sleep will leave you slowed down, but after 24 hours, the body starts to have effects that are similar to intoxication. Go past 48 hours, and hallucinations, paranoia, and major health hazards come into play. At 96 hours, the brain itself starts to destabilize, hanging on the verge of psychosis.

Australian TV star Bindi Irwin, famous as the daughter of the "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, is speaking out about her long and painful battle with endometriosis. After a decade of suffering, she recently shared that she is "genuinely healing" after undergoing surgery to remove 51 lesions, a cyst, and her appendix. The 27-year-old said she is "slowly gaining my strength back" and "beginning to recognize myself again."

What Is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside of it, often in places like the ovaries and fallopian tubes. This can lead to severe pain during periods, sexual intercourse, and bowel movements, along with bloating, nausea, and extreme tiredness. About one in ten women have this condition, yet it is often misunderstood.

Irwin's story has brought a lot of attention to the issue. She shared that for years, she was told her pain was "just part of being a woman," which made her feel "ashamed" and "weak." Now, she is pushing for a change, writing on Instagram, "We need to take away the stigma of talking about women's health. It's time to have open discussions and make change on a global scale."

What Is Chocolate Cyst?

The Cleveland Clinic explains that when the endometriosis tissue attaches to an ovary, it can form a type of cyst called an endometrioma. These cysts are often filled with a thick, brownish fluid, which is why they are sometimes called "chocolate cysts." An endometrioma can be a sign that a person has a more severe form of endometriosis.

The most common symptom of endometrioma is pelvic pain, which can happen at any time, not just during a period. Other symptoms can include:

• Very painful periods.
• Pain during sex.
• Pain when using the bathroom.
• Feeling the need to pee more often.
• Back pain.
• Nausea, vomiting, and bloating.

Endometriomas can be very small or grow quite large, affecting one or both ovaries. It's not clear what exactly causes them, but one popular theory is retrograde menstruation. This is when some of the tissue shed during a period flows backward through the fallopian tubes and attaches to the ovaries. This tissue then thickens and bleeds with each menstrual cycle, causing inflammation and forming the cyst. About 10% of people who get periods have endometriosis, and a significant portion of them—between 17% and 44%—will develop endometriomas.

If an endometrioma is causing pain, is large, or is affecting a person's ability to get pregnant, there are treatments available to help.

Why Do Endometriosis Diagnosis Take Years?

In March of 2023, Bindi shared her decade-long struggle with endometriosis, a painful condition that left her with constant fatigue, pain, and nausea. She decided to go public with her story to help other women who might be suffering in silence.

However, this is not an isolated incident, many women go through years of pain. According to 2024 British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology study reviewed 17 different publications. It found that the time it takes to get a diagnosis for endometriosis can range from just a few months to 12 years. This long wait depends on where a person lives and their specific health issues.

The main conclusion is that a long wait for a diagnosis is still a major problem. The study suggests this delay is mostly due to doctors and a lack of clear understanding of the disease.

Bindi ended her post saying women and girls should not feel ashamed of their pain, “We need to take away the stigma of talking about women’s health. It’s time to have open discussions and make change on a global scale.”

A new study from the University of Edinburgh found that the brains of cats with dementia show changes very similar to those seen in humans with Alzheimer's disease. These findings are a big step forward and could lead to new treatments for both people and pets. For the first time, researchers can see how the brains of cats naturally change as they get older and develop dementia, which provides a much more realistic picture of the disease than previous research has been able to. This discovery is a huge breakthrough because it offers a new way to study the disease and find better treatments.

How Can Cats Help Us Treat Dementia?

In the past, scientists have relied on genetically modified rodents to study Alzheimer's. However, rodents do not naturally get dementia. Cats, on the other hand, do. They also show similar symptoms to humans, such as confusion and changes in sleep patterns. Because of these similarities, cats provide a more accurate and natural model for studying the disease.

Dr. Robert McGeachan, the study's lead researcher, said that because cats naturally develop these brain changes, they may help scientists explore whether promising new treatments for human Alzheimer’s could also help our aging pets. This research benefits both species and their caregivers.

What Does Cat Dementia Reveal About Humans?

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh examined the brains of 25 cats after they passed away. They found that older cats and those with dementia had a build-up of a toxic protein called amyloid-beta. This protein is a key sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

The research showed that this protein was found in the synapses—the connections between brain cells. These connections are essential for healthy brain function. When they are lost, a person's memory and thinking skills decline.

The research also discovered that some support cells in the cats' brains were "eating" these damaged synapses. This process, known as synaptic pruning, is a normal part of brain development but can contribute to the loss of synapses in dementia.

Why Is Dementia On The Rise?

Dementia is a very common disease among older people, and since the elderly population is growing quickly worldwide, the number of people living with dementia is expected to increase. A study published in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences journal, based in Wales, UK, looked at medical records from 1999 to 2018 to understand this trend. The study included over 161,000 dementia diagnoses from nearly 117,000 people. The study found a few important things:

Older Age at Diagnosis

The average age for a dementia diagnosis has been going up. This means fewer younger people are being diagnosed with the disease.

More Cases and Longer Lives

The number of new dementia cases has risen and so has the total number of people living with the disease. The study also found that people with dementia are living longer than they used to, even with their diagnosis.

This is not just limited to the UK, dementia cases in the US are also estimated to double by 2060. Published in the journal Nature Medicine, followed nearly 16,000 Americans since 1987, found that the overall lifetime risk for developing dementia for a middle-aged American is 42 percent.

This risk is higher for women (48 percent) than for men (35 percent), mainly because women tend to live longer. The risk also increases with age, rising to over 50 percent for people who live to be 75. The study's authors believe that previous estimates were too low because of poor record-keeping and a lack of data on early-stage cases and racial minorities.

According to the study, preventing heart diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes can also help slow cognitive decline and prevent dementia. Other factors linked to a higher risk include obesity, unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, and poor mental health.

Bubonic Plague: A Lak Tahoe area resident has tested positive for plague, as confirmed by the California health officials on Tuesday. The officials have confirmed that the resident was infected after being bitten by an infected flea while camping in the South Lake Tahoe area.

What does this mean for people living in the surround area? Questions about plague, how is it spread, or is it preventable are of course spiraling in everyone's mind right now.

Here, we try to answer all your concerns.

California Resident Plague Case 2025

What happened? The health officials in California confirmed that a South Lake Tahoe resident tested positive for the plague. This is the same centuries-old disease that had killed millions during the Black Death.

The individual is believed to have contracted the infection after being bitten by an infected flea while camping near the Lake Tahoe Basin. According to El Dorado County Public Health, the patient is receiving care and recovering at home.

“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher-elevation areas of El Dorado County,” said Kyle Fliflet, the county’s acting public health director. “It’s important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking and camping in areas where wild rodents are present.”

Also Read: What History Teaches Us About Plague? Are There More Than One Type?

Plague: It is an illness that you can get from the bacterium Yersinia pestis or the Y pestis. It is a zoonotic disease, which means you can get it from animals and they also can get it from you. The disease usually spreads through bites from fleas that have been infected by biting an infected animal.

Read: California Resident Tests Positive For Plague, Officials Trace Case Back To Lake Tahoe Flea

Is The Bubonic Plague Back?

The Global Center for Health Security, by the University of Nebraska Medical Center notes that the bubonic plague never really went away.

The bubonic plague wiped out tens of millions of people in Europe in the 14th century and it thus gained the label 'Black Death'.

Last year too, a rare case of human plague was confirmed in rural Oregon, as confirmed by the Deschutes County Health Services. As per the report the individual is said to be infected by a pet car, which had symptoms.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US, on an average, seven human plague cases are reported each year in the country.

Is Bubonic Plague Contagious?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), while not totally eradicated, "human to human transmission of bubonic plague is rare". However, bubonic plague is contagious.

The CDC notes that people usually get plague after being bitten by an infected rodent flea or by handling an infected animal. People can also become infected through exposure to sick pets, especially cats, which had been the case from Oregon, last year.

There are 3 ways a plague can spread, through animals, through blood, and through infectious droplets. However, all three different ways make for three different kinds of plagues. For bubonic plague, it is spread by flea bites, notes CDC.

Flea bites: Infected fleas transmit plague after feeding on sick rodents. When rodents die, fleas look for new hosts, including humans and pets, potentially causing bubonic or septicemic plague.

Contaminated fluids/tissues: Handling infected animals, such as skinning animals without protection, can spread plague bacteria, usually leading to bubonic or septicemic plague.

Infectious droplets: Plague pneumonia in humans or animals can release bacteria into the air. Inhaling these droplets may cause pneumonic plague, though direct close contact is usually required. Cats are especially vulnerable and can pass the infection to people.

Bubonic Plague Symptoms

The common signs of bubonic plague are:

• Fever
• Headache
• Chills
• Weakness
• One or more swollen, painful lymph nodes, called buboes (where the disease derives its name from)

These symptoms of bubonic plague usually start within the period of 2 to 8 days after being bitten.

The bacteria multiply in a lymph node near where the bacteria entered the human body. If the patient is not treated with the appropriate antibiotics, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body.

Bubonic Plague Mortality Rate

As per EBSCO, a platform that provides research databases, e-journals and other library resources, the bubonic plague has a historically high case fatality ratio from about 30 to 60%. However, today, with the help of treatment, it can be reduced to 5% to 15%.

The CDC notes that over 80% of the US plague cases have been in bubonic form, with seven cases each year. Plague has occurred in people across all ages, though 50% of cases happen in people aged 12 to 45. CDC notes that while it happens to both men and women, the plague is more common in men, probably "because of increased outdoor activities that put them at higher risk".