Good night's sleep crucial for brain health ......Lack of a good night's sleep may damage your brain in a similar way to being hit on the head, a new study has warned. Lack of a good night's sleep may damage your brain
in a similar way to being hit on the head, a new study
has warned. The study from Uppsala University, Sweden, shows
that one night of sleep deprivation increases morning
blood concentrations of molecules NSE and S-100B
in healthy young men. These molecules are typically found in the brain.
Thus, their rise in blood after sleep loss may indicate
that a lack of sleep may result in loss of brain tissue,
researchers said. Fifteen normal-weight men participated in the study.
In one condition they were sleep-deprived for one
night, while in the other condition they slept for
approximately 8 hours. "We observed that a night of total sleep loss was
followed by increased blood concentrations of NSE
and S-100B. These brain molecules typically rise in
blood under conditions of brain damage," said sleep
researcher Christian Benedict at the Department of
Neuroscience, Uppsala University, who led the study. "Thus, our results indicate that a lack of sleep may
promote neurodegenerative processes," said
Benedict. "In conclusion, the findings of our trial indicate that a
good night's sleep may be critical for maintaining
brain health," said Benedict. The findings are published in the journal SLEEP.