By Amber Larsen
In today’s
hectic society, sleep is a hot commodity. For most people, sleep doesn’t
make it onto the list of important tasks. Many of us are so inundated by
daily stress that it affects our sleep patterns in a major way. Let’s take a
look at how this sleep deprivation affects our bodies — and I’ll warn you, it’s
not for the best.
How Sleep
Works on a Biological Level
In our
brainstem, we have groups of nuclei called reticular
formations. Reticular formations are important in regard to
regulatory functions in our brain and are a major component of the reticular
activating system, which along with many other functions, is responsible for
our sleep-wake cycle.
An example
of this system at work is when you set your alarm clock to wake you at a
certain time. Your body sensing the noise of the alarm allows for you to arouse
your consciousness. Similarly, when you turn off your lights and limit stimuli
before bed, this can lead to drowsiness and eventually sleep.
The
hypothalamus also has an impact on our sleep-wake cycle. A structure known as
the suprachiasmatic nucleus acts as a master clock of our circadian rhythms.
The
Adverse Effects of Lack of Sleep on Health
Now that you
know a little bit about how sleep works biologically, what happens when we
don’t get enough sleep? Sleep deprivation can cause a host of strange side
effects. Some individuals may experience hallucinations, impaired brain
function, loss of memory, and a slower metabolism. These are just a few of
the adverse effects that we we’re about to go over in the next few studies.
According to
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral
Reviews, sleep deprivation can cause a wide variety of biological
consequences. A few of these consequences include increased stress, altered
inflammatory and blood clotting responses, and accelerated atherosclerosis
(a hardening and narrowing of the arteries). All of these mechanisms link sleep
deprivation with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
Epidemiological
studies show that short sleep duration is associated with increased occurrences
of coronary artery disease, hypertension, arrhythmias, diabetes, and obesity. Sleep deprivation by itself may not
kill you, but it can lead to diseases that can cause health complications and
even death in severe cases. The most problematic of the diseases mentioned
above would be coronary artery disease and hypertension in that both of those
conditions can cause heart failure.
Lack of
Sleep, Memory, and Our Kids
According to
the Journal of Sleep
Research, a chronic lack of sleep is a common problem among
adolescents. This doesn’t just present a health problem for kids, but also a
learning problem. Before we go into this study, we first must understand how
our brains work when it comes to forming memories. For the best results, a
person should be completely done studying about an hour or two before bedtime.
This is because humans consolidate and store their memories from the day
during their sleep cycles.
This study
aimed to see the effects of one-week of sleep restriction on the consolidation
of long-term memory. The study used 56 healthy adolescents and they were
instructed to remember a text passage in which half of the content was highlighted,
or prioritized. They were told they would receive an additional bonus for
remembering the prioritized content. They were allowed to view the prioritized
content and study as necessary, so the participants could view the passage more
than once, similar to how students study for exams. Once it came time to recall
the information, though, participants were not allowed to view the passage at
all.
Participants
underwent a seven-night period where they were allowed to sleep for either five
or nine hours. The
free recall of the passage was tested at the end of the sleep manipulation
period and again at six weeks.
The study
results:
The study determined that recall of the
highlighted (prioritized) content was superior to that of the non-highlighted
content at all three test points (initial, one week, and six weeks) in the
control group, who slept for nine hours each night during the one-week study. This
beneficial effect of highlighting passages was stronger for the control group
than the sleep-restricted group, who only slept for five hours.
Memory of the highlighted information
was stronger after one week versus a few minutes after the initial presentation
of the information. This was true only in the control group, not the sleep
restricted group.
This gives
us two important points to think on:
Having a full night’s rest aids in
memory consolidation.
Our memory becomes stronger and more
information moves into our long-term memory when we provide our brain with
several nights of sleep to learn and consolidate the information.
This study
shows that students need sleep in order to consolidate memories. This is
especially true if a student needs to remember something of importance
(prioritized content). Sleep deprivation can reduce the amount of
information a student is able to effectively store and recall. Modern
school systems tend to overload children with homework, but lack in physical
activities. This can negatively affect a child’s overall sleep pattern, which
can then negatively affect student performance.
Lack of
Sleep and Your Daily Mood
The Journal of Sleep
Research and Sleep Medicine conducted a meta-analysis by examining
143 studies on sleep deprivation. The results of the analysis suggest that sleep
deprivation strongly impairs overall human functioning, which can manifest as memory
loss, decreased cognitive functioning, and poor decision-making.
The research
also found that mood is highly affected by sleep deprivation. The affect on
mood depends on the person and their personality. For some, it could make them
angrier and for others it could make them depressed. Results show the effects
of sleep deprivation may be an underestimated issue in our everyday adult
lives.
How to
Prevent Sleep Deprivation – Holistically
Many doctors
prescribe medications to help people sleep, and most of those medications
belong in the benzodiazepine
classification of drugs. But benzodiazepines can inhibit kidney function and
they have addictive qualities, so a safer approach would be to choose a
holistic treatment for insomnia.
Melatonin
is an over-the-counter sleep supplement and a naturally occurring hormone in
our bodies that
laboratories recreate synthetically. Melatonin has the function of regulating
our sleep-wake cycles. When it becomes dark outside, our natural melatonin
production increases, which is a signal for us to fall asleep. Most available
melatonin supplements have a dosage between 3-5mg per tablet. When starting any
supplement it is important to speak to your physician about the proper dosage.
If you are chronically sleep deprived, your doctor may prescribe a higher dosage.
It is also important to find a good holistic pharmacy to make sure your
supplement has a high bioavailability rate (i.e. your body can actually utilize
what’s in your supplement).
When
trying to fall asleep at night, it’s important that you create an environment
conducive to sleep.
Start by shutting yourself off from all electronic devices a couple hours before
bed. Staying on your cell phone, tablet, or computer can keep you awake and
make it difficult to fall asleep. Also, try to make your bedroom as dark and
quiet as possible. Make your bedroom your sanctuary — a place that you can
relax without distractions.
It’s Time
to Prioritize Your Sleep
The
importance of sleep to our overall health and productivity is commonly
overlooked in today’s society, but the lack of it can be the cause of many common biological
problems. It is important to find a way to get a restful night’s sleep for
proper biological functioning.
For some,
this task may be extremely difficult, but talking to your doctor and
emphasizing that you’re seeking a holistic approach to sleep will help you on
your way to a good night’s sleep and better overall health.
References:
1.
Tobalaini, E. et. al. “Sleep, Sleep
Deprivation, Autonomic Nervous System and Cardiovascular Diseases,” Neuroscience
and Biobehavioral Reviews (2016): 18-40, accessed July 23, 2016, DOI:
10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.04
2. Pilcher,
June & Huffcutt, Allen. “Effects of Sleep
Deprivation on Performance: A Meta-Analysis,” Journal of Sleep
Research and Sleep Medicine 19, no. 4 (1996): 318-326, accessed July 23,
2016, www.psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1997-07865-006
3. Lo, June,
et. al. “Sleep
Restriction Can Attenuate Prioritization Benefits on Declarative Memory
Consolidation,” Journal of Sleep Research (2016): EPub ahead
of print, accessed July 23, 2016, DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12424
4. Tate,
Philip, Seely’s
Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. (New York: McGraw
Hill Education, 2012): 321-360
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