Risks from Not Getting Enough Sleep: Impaired Performance
Impaired performance from lack of sleep mimics alcohol intoxication
- Being awake for 17 hours is similar to having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05% (the level some countries use for drunk driving violations).
- Being awake for 24 hours is similar to having a BAC of 0.10% (above the U.S. drunk driving level of 0.08.
Warning: For someone who has been awake for long hours, consuming even a small amount of alcohol reduces performance further. Don’t drink any alcohol when you are sleep-deprived if you need to drive or if you need to perform other critical tasks.