By: Lauren Corwin
Have you ever woke up in the morning wanting to stay in your spacious, snug sack? Many of us do, young and old alike, but, besides being lazy, this want can be a tell tale sign that you are not getting enough sleep. There are many causes for having sleepless nights as there are many effects too. Being deprived of sleep can bring unwanted and harmful influences that can alter your life, such as damaged brain cells and impaired cognition aspects. The worst in the eyes of society, yet widely unknown, effect for many is weight gain, yes, weight gain.
Of all the things that could result due to sleep loss, brain cell damage is by far the biggest calamity. While some effects of sleep deprivation can be cured, disturbance to the cells can not usually be mended. Truckers, full time students, and shift workers are most susceptible to brain cell damage because of the ungodly hours. The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study used mice to act as humans to find out what really happens inside the brain. "The scientists believe that when the mice slept inconsistently, their newer cells would create more sirtuin type 3, a protein meant to energize and protect the mice." Eliana Dockterman, a writer from Time magazine, said. After missing hours of sleep this protein creation falls off, causing the cell to die at a faster rate of pace. Eventually many cells will die, which could result in permanent brain damage and even death. If I had any of the occupations above, I would definitely be reconsidering my sleeping time.
When the mice didn't sleep, they lost locus coeruleus (LC) neurons which account for your alertness and cognitive abilities as Sigrid Veasey, MD, an associate professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, stated in her press release. These lost neurons account for impaired judgement which can lead to deadly accidents like the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. Not only does the loss of the LC neurons affect judgement, but also critical thinking skills like concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. Losing all of these abilities isn't worth staying up all night to do homework or even drive a truck to make money.
No one wants to gain weight. No one. Countless studies have determined that the less sleep you get the more likely you are to become obese. There is a whole science to this with lots of big sciency words which you can read about in the NY Times, but the more obvious reason is as follows; if you wake up in the morning feeling tired, what's the first thing you grab for energy? Coffee and donuts. When your halfway through the day what do you get? Pop and candy. How about before a band performance? Energy drinks. All of these things are high in calories. While it may feel like they give you an extra burst of energy, in the end it tires you out quicker and helps you put on weight. Your sleep cycle can viciously attack your waistline if you don't get enough sleep.
Who knew all these effects were results of sleep deprivation? Brain cell damage can easily arise with continuous sleepless nights, which can then affect cognitive functions like problems solving and reasoning skills. If your pants don't fit as well as they use to, consider getting more sleep. Think about what not sleeping could cost you. Your concentration? Your brain? Your life?
Of all the things that could result due to sleep loss, brain cell damage is by far the biggest calamity. While some effects of sleep deprivation can be cured, disturbance to the cells can not usually be mended. Truckers, full time students, and shift workers are most susceptible to brain cell damage because of the ungodly hours. The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study used mice to act as humans to find out what really happens inside the brain. "The scientists believe that when the mice slept inconsistently, their newer cells would create more sirtuin type 3, a protein meant to energize and protect the mice." Eliana Dockterman, a writer from Time magazine, said. After missing hours of sleep this protein creation falls off, causing the cell to die at a faster rate of pace. Eventually many cells will die, which could result in permanent brain damage and even death. If I had any of the occupations above, I would definitely be reconsidering my sleeping time.
When the mice didn't sleep, they lost locus coeruleus (LC) neurons which account for your alertness and cognitive abilities as Sigrid Veasey, MD, an associate professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, stated in her press release. These lost neurons account for impaired judgement which can lead to deadly accidents like the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. Not only does the loss of the LC neurons affect judgement, but also critical thinking skills like concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. Losing all of these abilities isn't worth staying up all night to do homework or even drive a truck to make money.
No one wants to gain weight. No one. Countless studies have determined that the less sleep you get the more likely you are to become obese. There is a whole science to this with lots of big sciency words which you can read about in the NY Times, but the more obvious reason is as follows; if you wake up in the morning feeling tired, what's the first thing you grab for energy? Coffee and donuts. When your halfway through the day what do you get? Pop and candy. How about before a band performance? Energy drinks. All of these things are high in calories. While it may feel like they give you an extra burst of energy, in the end it tires you out quicker and helps you put on weight. Your sleep cycle can viciously attack your waistline if you don't get enough sleep.
Who knew all these effects were results of sleep deprivation? Brain cell damage can easily arise with continuous sleepless nights, which can then affect cognitive functions like problems solving and reasoning skills. If your pants don't fit as well as they use to, consider getting more sleep. Think about what not sleeping could cost you. Your concentration? Your brain? Your life?