Mild sleep disturbances can result in shallow sleep, even though total sleep time is not reduced. According to a report from Nature Neuroscience, this shallow sleep can interfere with learning and memory.
Poor sleep often results in impaired memory by reducing action in the hippocampus. Most people realize the consequences of severe sleep deprivation, but a study done by Penn State shows that losing as little as one or two hours of sleep a night can have adverse effects.
In the study, researchers mimicked what is more common in real life, restricting sleep by an hour or two every night for a week, similar to what many people do in order to stay up for the late news or to watch a favorite TV show.
The one good thing about this method of sleep deprivation was that the subjects, on the nights following the study, were able to fall asleep faster and get to a deeper level more quickly. However, this was outweighed by the adverse effects.
As many people know, it's difficult if not impossible to "catch up" on sleep. The subjects suffered from daytime drowsiness and dozed off during the day if put in a quiet, dark room.
But an even more serious result - immune systems were disrupted which could lead to an increase in the likelihood of infections and disease. Also, mental functions were impaired, including the memory and the ability to learn.
Another adverse reaction was an increase in a molecule that controls metabolism. This, in turn, could lead to obesity and on to obesity related problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea. In older men, slight sleep deprivation caused a decrease in testosterone levels.
This study serves to emphasize the importance of getting a full night's sleep every night. Eight hours is recommended for ultimate health and well being.
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