There are many reasons for Sleep Deprivation. I myself suffer from it.
Causes of sleep deprivation can be divided into four different areas. Such as, your lifestyle, health complications, medications that you take and their side effects and clinical disorders.

With Lifestyle, fatigue and sleeplessness are often a direct result from lifestyle choices. Such as, drinking caffeine or alcohol before bedtime is the most common causes of sleep deprivation. Shift work is unavoidable in many professions, and can drastically altar normal sleeping patterns.

With Medications, it can interfere with your body's natural rhythms, causing restlessness, insomnia and excessive tiredness. Try to avoid sleeping pills especially taken over long periods of time if at all possible, they are rarely the answer. Some can become habit forming and they also interfere with the body's natural sleeping patterns.

With Medical Conditions, underlying health problems can cause fatigue by interfering with your sleeping patterns. Physical health problems such as asthma can make sleeping difficult, while mental health problems, including depression and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), can lead to insomnia.
I myself suffer from physical health from Arthritis, Bursitis, Spinal Stenosis, and others that really cause sleep deprivation for me. I get about 3 hrs of sleep a night, and that's on a good night. I can't stay in any one position very long so it makes it very hard to get sleep when you have to move positions every 15-30 minutes.

Narcolepsy, apnea and parasomnia are three common sleeping disorders. There are over seventy different types of sleeping disorders and they can pose a very serious health risk that require medical treatment.

Keeping a daily record of your sleeping habits can better help your Doctor determine what is disturbing your sleeping pattern. Your sleeping pattern is your schedule of bedtimes and awakenings over a 24 hour period, and that also includes any nighttime awakenings and daytime naps.

In addition to keeping a record of your schedule, you should also note the quality of you rest periods. Record what you ate that day, especially in the time period before bedtime. If you're on medications, or used caffeine or alcohol, write those down as well. Record any daily activities that may be a factor, and what your emotional state was like before bed. Keep the diary for several weeks. This will allow you and your doctor to detect what may be disrupting your rest.

It's important to call your Doctor is any of the following occurs.

1) You snore, choke, or appear to stop breathing for any brief period of time while sleeping. This may be a sign of sleep apnea.

2) Insomnia affects your rest most nights over the course of a month.

3) Tiredness is affecting your daily activities and or personal life on a regular basis.

4) Your symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, or other alarming conditions that may concern you.

It can be very dangerous to have sleep deprivation. I know everyone has an occasional sleepless night. However, long-term deprivation studies suggest that chronic insomnia increases the risk of a number of health problems, and heightens the likelihood for accidents.

So, don't just protect yourself......protect those around you as well!
Get treated and get a good nights sleep!

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