What are the effects of long-term sleep deprivation?

What are long term effects of sleep deprivation?

• The reason I ask this is because I don't sleep until 2:45am usually. To be asleep at 12 is considered very lucky for me. It's not that i'm not tired because I am really tired. It's just that, I can't sleep. My mind is tired but can't sleep. (my alarm clock rings at 6:30) But I go to school the next day and I can fall asleep in under 6 minutes in math. And I'll be zombie-like all day until lunch. Usually, after lunch i'm more awake. Sometimes when I get home from school, I sleep for 2 hours. That's only sometimes because usually I have something to do or I'm using the computer.

• Answer:

  The effect can vary. Depression, mood swings, irritability, delusions, see the world in a haze, reduced reaction time. If you want to sleep earlier, find something to exercise your mind. Not homework, but something like word puzzles or recreational reading may help.