While you may be a busy be, try not to let those z's get away from you! Chronic sleep deprivation (going for extended periods of time with less sleep than your body needs — which for some could be as much as ten hours a night) can cause a variety of physical and psychological problems. Loss of sleep can make people more irritable, less efficient and able to recall events, and more accident-prone. Additionally, research on chronic sleep deprivation suggests more serious long-term complications, including: