Experts reveal the chaos that unfolds inside the body when you go just one night without sleep

Anyone who has ever had a good night's sleep will remember the struggles of the next day.

You feel confused, delirious, emotional and can barely function. Sometimes the side effects of poor sleep can be similar to a bad hangover, causing nausea and headaches.

And to think that all you've done is go without sleep. But considering the cascade of damage that bubbles up in the brain and body as you lie awake, the fasting hangover isn't surprising.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, experts detailed the intriguing biological processes that take place when we can't sleep – whether it's late at night, staying awake for 24 hours or going several days without closing our eyes.

They describe the chaos as a “ripple effect,” where one disruption causes another, followed by another.

Studies have long shown that chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk of a range of conditions, such as obesity, memory loss, diabetes, heart disease and a reduced immune response, leaving you vulnerable to infections.

But now specialists have revealed that just one night without sleep is enough to cause damage, which is to be expected since sleep is crucial for almost every bodily function, such as regulating hormones, repairing tissues and maintaining a healthy weight .

So where does it start?

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE STRIKES AFTER JUST A LATE NIGHT

According to experts, the effects of not sleeping begin to take effect after 18 hours of wakefulness. This is equivalent to going to bed at 2am if you woke up at 8am the day before.

Eighteen hours without sleep is when blood pressure starts to rise, causing the heart to work harder and putting extra strain on the organ.

In people with underlying heart conditions, this can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. A 2014 study found that heart attacks increased by 25 percent on Mondays after daylight saving time, when the clocks jump forward and you lose an hour of sleep.

On the Monday after the clocks go back, heart attacks decrease by 21 percent, research shows.

If you are awake for more than 18 hours, testosterone – the male sex hormone – also decreases.

Energy levels decrease, as does the immune system's defenses. Just one week of less than five hours of sleep per night – or 19 hours of wakefulness – caused a young man's testosterone to drop by 10 to 15 percent, compared to the normal rate of one to two percent per year.

Sleep plays an important role in the regulation of hormones, and if the body doesn't get enough, it can't perform its normal functions properly.

Also around this time, the immune system will begin to build up inflammatory proteins linked to heart and chronic disease, and our natural 'fighter' cells that fight bacteria and viruses become less effective.

Dr. Andrey Zinchuk, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine specialist at Yale Medicine, shared YaleMedicine: 'I consider every hour of sleep as putting money into a 'sleep' savings account.

'If your 'sleep' savings account is empty or overdrawn, it negatively affects your brain and the way you interact with the world.'

WAKE UP FOR A FULL NIGHT: CHOCOLATE STATEMENTS & MICRO SLEEP

Twenty-four hours without sleep has a similar effect on the brain as drinking four glasses of wine or beer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It means you may have decreased reaction times, slurred speech, and slowed thinking.

Other symptoms include irritability, increased stress, decreased concentration and food cravings.

Dr. Carolyn Williams, a registered dietitian and author of Meals That Heal, told DailyMail.com that sleep deprivation also affects your ability to choose healthy foods.

A 2015 study found that for every hour of sleep lost, teens ate 210 more calories the next day, most of it from fat and carbohydrates. Teens with inconsistent sleep patterns were also more likely to snack.

Dr. Williams said a lack of sleep changes brain function, affects the foods you crave, how the body regulates hormones and how the body processes food – making you crave foods you normally don't crave.

Williams added that when you lack quality sleep, the reward center in your brain is activated more by food and a recent study found that tired people responded more to junk food and were willing to spend more money on it than on healthy alternatives.

After 36 hours of not sleeping, any symptoms you experience will worsen. You may also experience microsleeps, short periods of involuntary sleep lasting up to 30 seconds.

During microsleeps it seems as if you are awake and your eyes are open, but your brain 'switches off'.

Research has shown that brain activity slows down, preventing you from processing information.

Without sleep, the brain tries to cope without having the time it needs to repair itself, leading to extreme stress and decreased performance.

When you're awake for 36 hours, different parts of the brain have difficulty communicating with each other.

It means that memory, learning, decision-making and responding all become difficult.

Your blood pressure and heart rate will also increase, your metabolism will slow, and your heart will be forced to work harder.

TWO DAYS WITHOUT SLEEP CAN MAKE YOU HALLUCINATE

Another 12 hours without sleep takes you to what is considered extreme sleep deprivation.

It is likely that the frequency of microsleeps is increasing. If you are awake for 48 hours, you may hallucinate and experience increased stress, depersonalization, anxiety and increased irritability.

The brain's amygdala – which helps regulate mood and memory – and the prefrontal cortex – which controls executive function and impulse control – are both severely affected.

Dr. Scott Lyons, a licensed psychologist, told DailyMail.com that the impact on the amygdala makes people 60 percent more reactive in situations of stress or discomfort.

After 72 hours of no sleep, the brain has serious difficulty coping with exhaustion, which can lead to hallucinations, delusions and distorted thinking.

FOUR DAYS OF NO SLEEP CAN BE DEADLY

With 96 hours of sleep deprivation there is a risk of psychosis increases.

This is when you experience an altered perception of reality and may suffer from extensive delusions and severe mood swings.

Sleep deprivation psychosis usually goes away once you get enough sleep.

However, extreme repeated sleep deprivation can be fatal.

Extreme fatigue is a major factor in traffic accidents and fatal mistakes in the workplace.

Jessica Tapia, a 29-year-old mother of five children aged 10 years to three weeks old, told DailyMail.com that she has been sleeping about four to five hours a night for the better part of a decade.

According to her husband, she is often “irritable and very grumpy,” and sometimes suffers from dizziness, brain fog and difficulty making decisions.

Ms Tapia, owner of a digital marketing agency, told this website: 'Sleep deprivation is so real and it can drive you crazy.

“Some mornings I wake up and feel so light-headed and dizzy to the point where I can't move… and my husband would have to take our son (and feed him).

“The scariest thing is that I feel like one day I just won't know what's going on anymore.”

In addition to physical issues that can cause sleep problems, a person's mental health also plays a major role in sleep quality.

Dr. Lyons told DailyMail.com that mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder, depression or generalized anxiety disorders, can all disrupt a person's sleep routine. Poor sleep can also worsen mental health problems.

In these cases, it may be helpful to seek psychological therapy or start taking medications.

When you sleep, the body goes through four phases: non-rapid eye movement (NREM), phases 1, 2 and 3, and rapid eye movement (REM).

NREM Phase 1 is the transition between waking and falling asleep and usually lasts between five and ten minutes.

Your body then enters phase 2 – when body temperature drops and heart rate slows. This marks the onset of sleep spindles – a hallmark of NREM that is thought to control sleep-related functions such as memory consolidation and brain development. This phase usually lasts 20 minutes.

NREM 3 sees muscles relax, blood pressure and breathing rate drop. This is the time when the deepest sleep occurs. In this phase, cells repair and rebuild, hormones are secreted to promote bone and muscle growth, and immunity is strengthened. Your brain also stores information in memory, making this type of sleep essential for learning.

After NREM 3, phase 2 is repeated before REM sleep begins.

During REM sleep, the brain becomes active, the body relaxes and dreams occur.

Controlling these processes is the circadian rhythm – or the body's internal clock.

This helps regulate sleep-wake cycles, ensuring that sleep occurs at night and wakefulness occurs during the day.

Disruptions to this rhythm, such as shift work, jet lag or general sleep problems, can lead to sleep disorders and affect overall health.

The sleep experts DailyMail.com spoke to recommended going to bed earlier, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, lowering the temperature in your bedroom and avoiding electronics close to bedtime as ways to improve sleep health.

Dr. Emer MacSweeney, neuroradiologist and CEO of Re:Cognition Health, a cognitive care clinic, told DailyMail.com: 'Sleep deprivation has been linked to a wide range of health problems and diseases. Sleep is essential for supporting cognition… memory, language, speech, planning and many other skills.

'Lack of sleep has far-reaching consequences for the body and mind