Sleep deprivation can also be caused by an underlying sleep disorder. You may wake up from sleep not feeling refreshed, and you may experience excessive sleepiness throughout the day. You may not even be aware that the cause of your daytime symptoms is sleep deprivation. Many people with sleep deprivation don’t know that they should feel differently than they normally do throughout the day, which is often what causes people to remain untreated for so long. Short-term effects of sleep deprivation include problems with memory and concentration, decreased performance, increased stress, reduced quality of life and an increase in both work and car-related accidents. The long-term consequences of sleep deprivation are more serious and include conditions like heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, heart failure and mood disorders like depression. When you aren’t sleeping well or you don’t sleep enough it can have a negative impact on your health. There are many causes for sleep deprivation including daily stressors, purposefully sleeping less to spend more time on work or play, or there may be certain medical or mental conditions that are making it hard for you to sleep.