Torture | Sleep deprivation

Torture

Because of the negative psychological effects, methodical sleep deprivation is used as a method of torture. In particular, clear thinking is to be prevented and the will of the victim is to be broken in order to force more easily incriminating statements or confessions. Sleep deprivation is part of the so-called “white torture”, since it leaves no physical traces and the psychological consequences are also difficult to prove.

Sleep deprivation is recognized under international law as a method of torture and can be punished accordingly by the UN and the responsible authorities. The methods that use sleep deprivation as torture include Victims are prevented from sleeping by restraint in painful or uncomfortable positions, continuous exposure to noise, permanent exposure to light and, in particular, physical punishment (kicks, blows with heavy objects, etc.).

  • Change in waking and sleeping times
  • Reduction of sleep time to 4 to 6 hours per day over a period of several weeks
  • Transfer of sleep from night to day
  • Frequent flyer program: was used in Guantanamo and means a cell relocation that takes place at regular intervals (both night and day) over a period of one to two weeks.

Physical effects: Psychological effects: It is believed that the mental disorders that occur during sleep deprivation are caused by an impairment of the prefrontal cortex in the brain (area of the brain in the front part of the head behind the forehead), which is responsible, among other things, for rational thinking.

  • Increased occurrence of “microsleep
  • General limitation of performance
  • Reduced ability to regulate body temperature
  • Susceptibility to infections due to a weakening of the immune system
  • Headaches
  • Risk for type 2 diabetes (adult-onset diabetes) and obesity by altering glucose metabolism, limiting appetite control and reducing energy consumption is discussed
  • Heart diseases
  • Metabolic changes, for example an increase in the stress hormone cortisol
  • Increasing the reaction time and decreasing the reaction accuracy in the muscle. This means that the muscles respond more slowly to signals from the nervous system and the movement following a signal is not performed accurately.
  • Muscle tremor and muscle pain
  • Effects on the external appearance such as growth disturbances, water retention and obvious fatigue (frequent yawning)
  • Hallucinations
  • Irritability
  • Impairment of thinking performance and clear thinking, especially limited decision-making ability and reduced motivation Memory gaps up to memory loss
  • Psychosis-like symptoms:
  • Among other things limitation of the ability to perceive;
  • Inability to adequately classify and process environmental stimuli;
  • Decreased attention span;
  • Changed sensory perceptions
  • Symptoms similar to ADHD: among other things, reduced ability to concentrate
  • Conspicuous behavior (as can also be observed under the influence of alcohol): limitation of mental performance and higher brain functions (such as the inability to solve arithmetic problems), linguistic peculiarities such as “mumbling”, loss or limitation of the sense of balance