eli5: How does lack of sleep kill someone?
In: Biology
Here’s some bonus related info on the importance of sleep.
Most people know that horses can sleep standing up, but actually to get the few minutes of REM sleep a horse needs everyday, it has to lay down. As horses age and become unable to get up, they quit laying down to sleep and REM sleep deprivation accelerates their declining health.
It is not fully understood, and it’s probably overly simplifying to say lack of sleep kills the horse, but it is a contributing factor. REM sleep deprived horses may suddenly collapse and injure themselves as they fall. They demonstrate what we think is confusion and may forget to eat and drink properly, and a horses digestive system requires a near constant flow of roughage to prevent gastrointestinal injury.
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