The Russian Sleep Experiment was reportedly conducted in the late 1940s to observe the effects of sleep deprivation. The announced results were terrifying. But what is it really?
There Russian Sleep Experiment, or “Russian sleep experience” in French, would have taken place in the late 1940s. This experiment would have been carried out on five gulag prisoners. The latter would have been locked in a room filled with a mind-altering gas to prevent them from sleeping. Beforehand, they had been made to believe that if they managed to last 30 days without sleeping, they would be released. Their conversations were recorded. After five days, they stopped communicating with each other and began to present signs of paranoia and psychological distress. They started screaming and moaning. The scientists eventually opened the room and discovered that the prisoners had self-harmed, some had torn their skin and one of them died. This experience highlighted the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation on the body and made a lot of noise when it started circulating on the Internet. But “it falls under the pure science fiction and there is no proof that this story really existed, it does not appear in any official history textbook” reacts Dr. Marc Rey, neurologist specializing in sleep, president of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance (INSV), whom we interviewed. However, sleep deprivation has real harmful effects for the body and remain a means of torture well known. In 2021, theopponent of Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny declared to be deprived of sleep by the guards of his prison, as reported Reuters.
What are the proven effects of sleep deprivation?
“30 years ago, the functions of sleep seemed difficult to understand because we did not live in a society where sleep deprivation was chronic. Today, the effects of sleep deprivation are well known“, explains Dr. Marc Rey. Sleep deprivation causes:
► A postman obesity : leptin, satiety hormone, is in deficit while ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, is secreted in excess. “Therefore, we will eat more and store more. It is also for this reason that there is more obese among people who work at night“, details the neurologist.
► One decreased growth hormone secretion which is secreted during sleep. This is used for growth in children and for a whole host of repairs in adults.
“This experience is pure fiction”
► One weakened immune system : “when we sleep, there are a number of things that happen to our defense system, so chronic sleep deprivation makes us more susceptible to infections“,” says Dr. Marc Rey.
► neurological damage: “sleep deprivation can cause dangerous drowsinessespecially at the wheel, which is responsible for 20% of motorway accidents“, indicates the specialist.
► memory and concentration problems : during the night, we consolidate what we learned during the day. “In other words, it is counterproductive to sleep all night to cram your exam. It is also for this reason that children need to sleep much more than adults, especially the first years of life. A baby who does not get enough sleep will be more likely to suffer from speech disorders“, argues the neurologist specializing in sleep.