The Power of Sleep on the Brain
Our brain is a workhorse while we are sleeping. There have been many studies to determine the activity going on in brains while we sleep and the effects on our brain when we are sleep deprived. Let’s go through all of the activities that occur when we are getting some shut eye.
Carolyn Gregoire wrote an article for the Huffington Post on the ‘5 Amazing Things Your Brain Does When You Sleep’.
Makes decisions
The brain processes complex information while you sleep and then uses that information while you are awake
Creates and consolidates memories
When you are asleep the brain is busy forming new memories, consolidating older ones, and linking more recent with earlier memories – during the REM and non-REM sleep cycles
Makes creative connections
When the brain is in the resting state it can make new connections that it wouldn’t recognize in the awake state
Clears out toxins
When we don’t get enough sleep our brains don’t have enough time to clear out toxins which could potentially have the effect of accelerating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
Learns and remembers how to perform physical tasks
During REM sleep the brain transfers short-term memories stored in the motor cortex to the temporal lobe for long-term memory
Practice during sleep is essential for better performance
What happens to the brain when we experience sleep deprivation? There have been ongoing studies over the past twenty years that have tried to determine the effects of sleep deprivation. Throughout the research the clearest finding is that sleep does not serve a single purpose. It is responsible for the optimal functioning of multiple body processes. Here are study results:
Antibodies and Hormones
As little as one night of complete or even partial sleep loss can interfere with hormonal activities and protection from infections
Study demonstrated that group that had a normal night’s sleep had 97% higher antibody levels that those who were sleep deprived
Sleep deprivation reduced the ability to clear glucose from blood (action of insulin) by 40%
Sleep deprivation resulted in a 28% increase in the hormone ghrelin – an appetite –stimulating hormone
Decrease in leptin (inhibits hunger) by 18%
Results – reduced sleep could lead to weight gain and there was an association between sleep restriction and the development of Diabetes Type II
Negativity Bomb
Result of study demonstrated that when you are sleep deprived you form twice as many memories of negative events in your life as of positive events – producing a glum memory of your day
Future Memories
Sleep is involved in memory processing in everyone – no matter their emotional state
Sleep does more than just stabilize memories – keeping them from deteriorating over time – it actually improves them
The brain strengthens different types of memory during different stages of sleep
Sleep, not wakefulness, selectively strengthens memories that our brain interprets as valuable
(Sleep On It; Scientific American)
So the following is a brief summary of sleep deprivation studies based on body systems:
Central Nervous System: Sleep deprivation negatively affects brain functions, including memory, emotion and regulation of appetite.
Immune System: Without enough sleep, the immune system cannot work as efficiently to fight off illness.
Endocrine System: Lack of sleep makes the body less sensitive to the hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas. This condition increases the risk of developing obesity.
(Sleep On It; Scientific American)
It appears that catching some ZZZ’s is definitely in our best interest. Whoever quipped that they will have plenty of time to sleep when they are dead so as to make the most of time available in a day – just might get there sooner than they think!
Gregoire,C. (September 28, 2014). 5 amazing things your brain does while you sleep. Huffington Post, Retrieved November 5, 2015 from www.huffingtonpost.com.
Stickgold,R. (October, 2015). Sleep on it. Scientific American. Neuroscience, pp. 51-57.
Have questions or interested in learning more? Contact Patricia at: patricia@myboomerbrain.com