An occasional night without adequate sleep may leave you feeling tired and irritable the next day, but it will not harm your health. Several sleepless nights, may lead to serious cognitive (mental) effects such as difficulty with concentration, reasoning, learning and decision making. You may feel like your brain is in a fog. Risk of accidents at work, home and on the road will also increase.

Lack of sleep for long periods of time, can affect your overall health and make you prone to serious medical conditions, like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Sleep loss (not getting enough sleep at night) is also associated with a shorter lifespan.