Final answer:
The effects of chronic sleep deprivation include an increased risk of accidents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is C) Increased risk of accidents.
Chronic sleep deprivation refers to a long-term lack of adequate sleep. It can have several negative effects on both physical and mental health. One of the major consequences of chronic sleep deprivation is an increased risk of accidents. When a person is sleep-deprived, their cognitive function, reaction time, and alertness are impaired, making them more prone to accidents while driving or operating machinery.
For example, research has shown that sleep deprivation affects cognitive and motor function as much as, if not more than, alcohol intoxication. The most severe effects of sleep deprivation occur when a person stays awake for more than 24 hours or has repeated nights with fewer than four hours of sleep. Irritability, distractibility, and impairments in cognitive and moral judgment can occur with less than four hours of sleep, and hallucinations can start after 48 consecutive hours without sleep.