Is Sleep Deprivation Hurting Your Health?

Do you have trouble falling asleep? How many hours are you logging? Is your sleep interrupted? Recent research links sleep deprivation to memory, learning and mental health disorders. Science has proven that the brain’s neurons can become over connected and muddled with electrical activity when deprived of sleep, which prevents new memories from being properly stored. Sleep is essentially a ‘reset button’ for our daily activities of memory, learning and adaptation. It is hypothesized that the brain’s cells strengthen throughout the day as more information is retained and eventually become saturated. The brain is able to absorb and store this information while making room for tomorrow’s activities when at rest. Missing just one night of adequate sleep can decrease neuron responsiveness and impair the process of writing memories.

Christoph Nissen, the psychiatrist conducting the study, found that therapeutic sleep deprivation can be used to treat mental health disorders through alteration of brain connectivity. About 60 percent of participants showed significant improvement in mood, motivation and cognitive function within hours. Many patients did relapse after the following night’s sleep. Though this may not be a sustainable method of treatment, these findings provide a deeper understanding of the brain and shifts in mood.

Nissen says “This work shows us that sleep is a highly active brain process and not a waste of time. It’s required for healthy brain function.”

Bottom Line: For the general population, research has proven that eight hours of sleep every night is crucial to optimal brain function and memory retention. If you are having trouble falling asleep, turn off your electronics and give this foam rolling routine a try.

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