Never Seem To Sleep

Sleep deprivation is considered by some to be torture. First, interrogation victims are kept awake for several days; when they are finally allowed to fall asleep,

they are suddenly awakened and questioned.

Menachem Begin, when a prisoner of the KGB in Russia, described his experience of sleep deprivation as follows, "In the head of the interrogated prisoner, a haze

begins to form. His spirit is wearied to death, his legs are unsteady, and he has one sole desire: to sleep... Anyone who has experienced this desire knows that not

even hunger and thirst are comparable with it."

Nicole Bieske, a spokeswoman for Amnesty International (Action for human rights, Hope for humanity), has stated, "At the very least, [sleep deprivation] is cruel,

inhumane and degrading. If used for prolonged periods of time it is torture."


In rats, prolonged, complete sleep deprivation increases both food intake and energy expenditure, leading to weight loss and, ultimately, death.