The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On The Brain

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Today, sleep deprivation is a well-known phenomenon. Unfortunately there are still various unanswered questions to this idea. Thankfully with much research we have learned a few effects that lack of sleep has on the human body and brain. A few experimental research studies, the researchers looked at the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain itself. The results of these experiments show that sleep deprivation effects brain chemistry. It also affects various areas of the brain such as connectivity and signaling, especially in the hippocampus and frontal brain regions. With all of these areas being altered, it affects our long-term memory function and our decision making. Sleep deprivation also affects how we handle stress, our cognitive
One way sleep deprivation affects the brain is it inhibits brain connectivity (Verweij et. al. 2014)). It also affects the signaling in the brain (Vecsey, 2009). Other areas

of the brain affected are the hippocampus and frontal regions (Vecsey, 2009; Thomas et. al. 2000). With all of these areas being altered, it affects our long-term memory function and our decision making.
(Vecsey, 2009; Thomas et. al. 2000). Lack of sleep also affects our level of cognitive performance and how we handle our stress in our life (Minkel et. Al, 2014). Not only does being sleep deprived affect our brain, it can affect our mood as well (Bernier, 2009). With all of these effects we can become moody, stressed, have trouble remembering and even make more poor choices than we would if we had adequate sleep. We have various research on what happens to our brain when we don’t get adequate sleep. With all the data we know how important it is to get sleep. There are several unanswered questions but one that comes to mind is what makes people not get enough sleep? With the areas of the brain being affected due to lack of sleep, does how our brain is affected lead to a cycle of sleep deprivation? What I mean is that do we get so sleep deprived do we just continue on a cycle of lack of sleep.

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