Introduction: Sleep deprivation severely compromises the ability of human beings to respond to stimuli in a timely fashion. The prevalence of sleep disorders is increasing in modern societies, where constant exposure to artificial light and interactive activities, such as television and the internet, combine with social and economic pressures to shorten the time spent asleep Experimental sleep deprivation in animals allows us to gain insight into the complications that are not possible to study in human subjects. Objectives: The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of 48 hours of sleep deprivation on higher cognitive functions and social preferences in male Wistar albino rats. Methods: Adult male Wister albino rats are exposed to sleep deprivation for 48 hrs and were tested for weight and various behavioral alterations. Adult albino rats were randomly divided into two groups. Each group contains six animals. Rats were tested in Novel object location, Novel object recognition for testing, learning and memory, memory retention, and novelty preference. For analyzing social behavior, rats were tested on Social preference task. Results: The rats exposed to sleep deprivation show behavioral alterations such as impairment in learning and memory, memory retention, novelty preference, decreased social preference behavior and increased social avoidance. Conclusion: The results revealed that Sleep deprivation leads to cognitive impairment and social avoidance in Wistar albino rats.