DEAR DOCTOR K: Between work and caring for my kids, I barely get four hours of sleep a night. Are there long-term consequences of this kind of sleep deprivation?

DEAR READER: If you are like most people, you’re not getting enough sleep, and there could be consequences. There are some people who appear to need less sleep than the average person and who don’t pay a price for getting less of it. But we’re not sure of that, and we don’t know how to identify such people.

So I have to assume you’re like the average person, who needs seven and a half to eight hours per night. If so, then sleeping only four hours a night means you are suffering from partial sleep deprivation. You are getting some sleep, but not the amount that most people need.