40-hour no sleep attempted by media man! See what happens here

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Sleep deprivation immediately affects one's body, and consistent lack of sleep brings a number of health problems not limited to a weakened immune system. In fact, Huffington Post reports that according to a study conducted by researchers at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Tel Aviv University and published in the Journal of Neuroscience, lack of sleep cause people to overreact to everyday challenges that would warrant a regular response if only they had enough sleep.

That's only one of the many effects of sleep deprivation, and ABC News set out to find out via an experiment what really happens when the a person goes hours without sleep.

ABC News' Medical Unit head Dan Childs volunteered to go on hours without sleep to find out what changes the body experiences when it doesn't get its much-needed rest. Childs posted video updates of what they called the GMA 40/40 Sleep Project. It is currently ongoing, with four video diaries published so far.

According to the CDC, sleep deprivation is a public health problem that has been linked to motor vehicle crashes, industrial disasters, and medical and other occupational errors. Childs said in his first video diary, "Oftentimes, it's not necessarily what sleep deprivation does to you that's so dangerous, but what you do while you're sleep deprived that can be the real hazard to your health."

"Sleep deprivation is the single most dangerous aspect of any sleep disorder because you have no idea that you are compromised cognitively, physically and emotionally," sleep expert Michael Breus told CNN.

Sleep deprivation also affects the body's appetite. Runner's World reports that according to a study conducted by Swedish researchers, those who are sleep deprived tend to have higher levels of hunger and ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Additionally, those who were sleep deprived chose larger portion sizes of food.

Aside from an increased appetite, Medical Daily reports that consistently getting six hours or less of sleep causes the body to produce more chemical and hormones that are linked to heart disease. These hormones and chemicals increase one's risk for stroke, high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.

Medical Daily reports that consistent lack of sleep may also affect one's libido, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed. According to the study, those who were sleep deprived had lower libidos and less interest in sex because they less energy and felt very sleepy.

Sleep tips from Angela Anderson, MD for ABC News: "Start winding down an hour before your bedtime. Dim the lights and stop using electronic devices including computers, tablets and cell phones."

To follow Dan Child's 40-hour sleepless saga, log on to ABC News and view his video diaries below.