The Undeniable Importance of Sleep for Your Brain
We all know how much a bad night’s sleep can impact our day. It can make us feel sluggish and make simple tasks feel almost impossible. But did you know that chronic poor-quality sleep can have a significant impact on your brain health in the short and long term?
What counts as sleep deprivation?
It might seem difficult to quantify what a lack of sleep is. You’ll sometimes hear people boasting about being able to survive on just a few hours a night. Although there’s no strict definition, the reality is that almost all of us require between 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep per night for our brains and bodies to function at their best.
Although sleep deprivation itself isn’t a disorder, it may be a symptom of one. There are several types of sleep disorders that require specific treatments, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, hypersomnia, and circadian rhythm disorders.
How is the brain affected?
So what’s actually happening in your brain when you don’t catch enough z’s?
On a normal night of sleep, your brain goes through around four to six sleep cycles. These range in duration from 70 to 120 minutes. Some of these stages are known as REM, or rapid eye movement, and some NREM, or non-rapid eye movement.
Your brain works differently in each type of cycle, to effectively facilitate recovery and repair. However, when these cycles are disrupted, your neurons become overworked. As a result, your brain activity is lower. Over time, this can lead to a greater risk of mental disorders, an irreversible loss of brain cells, and a higher chance of age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.
Short-term effects
Difficulty concentrating
This is one of the most noticeable effects of bad sleep on your day-to-day functioning. Sleepiness decelerates normal thought processes in the brain, causing you to become more easily confused. Logical reasoning tasks become tricker, and making decisions becomes far more complex, as your judgment is impaired.
Slowed reaction times
There’s a reason why you see signs on the highway telling you to take a break. Alcohol and drugs are two major factors that can impact reaction times, but a lack of sleep is up there. In fact, it’s been shown that drowsiness has a similar impact on the brain as a blood alcohol content of .08%, which is over the legal limit in many states.
Mood swings
Poor sleep and irritability are intrinsically linked. The hormone levels in your brain that control your mood play a large part in this. Over time, this can lead to more complex mental issues including anxiety and depression.
Trouble learning and forming memories
You’ll find it more difficult to learn and perform at your best when you’re tired. In young children’s brains, this can manifest as hyperactivity, and teenagers and adults may struggle with school and work learning tasks.
Long-term effects
Cognitive decline and Dementia
Other than mental disorders, the highest long-term risk associated with chronic poor sleep is that of decline in cognition, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
Taking steps towards better sleep hygiene can diminish these risks, and the possibility of suffering the aforementioned effects of sleep deprivation on your brain.