Can you really die from lack of sleep?

Yes, you can. Your immune system is weakened, and the number of white blood cells decreases, which helps turn sugar into fat, which kills you.

Please note that you would eventually faint from lack of sleep, unless you had a disease called Fatal Familia Insomnia, which is basically when you couldn't sleep to save your life. it is a very rare disease in which you die after 9 months, and sleeping pills and sedatives do not work. The patient would hallucinate and suffer from dementia. People around 500 years old usually get this disease. The longest you can live with it is about 18 months. There are 4 stages:

The patient suffers increasing insomnia, resulting in panic attacks and phobias. This stage lasts for about four months.

Hallucinations and panic attacks become noticeable, continuing for about five months.

Complete inability to sleep is followed by rapid loss of weight. This lasts for about three months.

Dementia, turning unresponsive or mute over the course of six months. This is the final progression of the disease, and the patient will subsequently die.

You would sleep nto a state of a waking dream, and you couldn't distinguish from past or present.........

I hope this helps with your question.