Why do you die from a lack of sleep?

Sleep effects everything in your body, literally. The average human should get 8-9 hours of sleep a night. You can be considered sleep deprived just from getting less than 4 hours of sleep a night. And despite popular belief, sleep cannot be made up by sleeping extra on the weekend or whatever. Sleep is important for proper function of the heart and especially the brain. It can affect all parts of cognitive function such as motor ability, emotional well being, mental alertness, memory, focus, ability to perceive pleasure in something the person enjoys, impairs a persons judgment, etc. It can also in time effect heart function due to lack of a resting period. It can eventually make you more prone to illness as it will weaken your immune system substantially. As for dying from a lack of sleep, it has never actually been documented or known in humans. If a person stays awake for a substantial time, the brain will eventually force them to sleep no matter where they are. The brain will eventually force itself into sleep mode so someone will eventually get sleep whether they like it or not. The amount of time is different for different people, some people can only go days while others can go a week or so. But the lack of sleep can slowly deplete the body over time and can make the person sick or get depressed which can cause suicidal thoughts which can in turn end up killing the person, but sleep deprivation itself wont kill the person. The effects of it very well could though.

I was having alot of anxiety before sleeping and could not fall asleep. Had many many sleepless nights.

I was just playing with the program one afternoon and wanted to listen to the �Power Nap� track. Next thing I knew I was waking up! Fell right asleep without trying. After using the �Fall Asleep� track, I could fall asleep right away. But I didn't realize that I shouldn't be using that one all night. Switched to Whole Night and have been using it ever since.

I can go to sleep with ease now. I just lay and listen to the sounds and next thing I know I am waking up from a nice sleep. I don't suffer from lack of sleep anymore. I keep an IPod with earbuds next to my bed and take it ALWAYS when traveling. The earbuds help block out ambient noise and the sleep tracks keep me sleeping sound :)

Reboot your brain & sleep soundly again?

You won't die from lack of sleep, although there's is a rare syndrome that runs in families where the person's body WON'T sleep and that is fatal, from exhaustion. But a person without that syndrome WILL sleep, if only when they collapse and fall on the floor. You body will just go into sleep mode on its own.