sleep-deprived

American  

[sleep-di-prahyvd] / ˈslip dɪˌpraɪvd /

adjective

1. affected by fatigue, weakness, impaired judgment, loss of mental alertness, etc., due to lack of sleep.

   I wasn’t going to wait in line overnight and then be in a store with 700 other sleep-deprived shoppers, any of whom could mentally snap and strangle me at any moment.

   If you know you’re going to have a sleep-deprived EEG, plan to have someone drive you to and from the test.

---

Etymology

Origin of sleep-deprived

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

While some can handle a disrupted sleep schedule better than others, all sleep-deprived people who participated in the study experienced this effect, Lewis said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

As expected, sleep-deprived participants performed significantly worse than when they were well-rested.

From Science Daily • Jan. 20, 2026

And counter moves by Rams coaches, including sleep-deprived McVay.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

"We're sleep-deprived, shocked, traumatised, and grieving," he said.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

In the 1,001 Nights, sometimes characters wander in and out of the story as if a sleep-deprived Scheherazade had forgotten to give them a purpose.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri