Sleep loss may be more serious than previously
thought, causing a permanent loss of brain cells,
research suggests.
In mice, prolonged lack of sleep led to 25% of
certain brain cells dying, according to a study in
The Journal of Neuroscience.
If the same is true in humans, it may be futile to try
to catch up on missed sleep, say US scientists.
They think it may one day be possible to develop a
drug to protect the brain from the side-effects of
lost sleep.
The study, published in The Journal of
Neuroscience, looked at lab mice that were kept
awake to replicate the kind of sleep loss common in
modern life, through night shifts or long hours in the
office.
A team at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine studied certain brain cells which are
involved in keeping the brain alert.
After several days of sleep patterns similar to those
followed by night workers - three days of night
shifts with only four to five hours sleep in 24 hours -
the mice lost 25% of the brain cells, in part of the
brain stem.
The researchers say this is the first evidence that
sleep loss can lead to a loss of brain cells.
But they add that more work needs to be done to
find out if people who miss out on sleep might also
be at risk of permanent damage.
Prof Sigrid Veasey of the Center for Sleep and
Circadian Neurobiology, told BBC News: "We now
have evidence that sleep loss can lead to
irreversible injury.
"This might be in a simple animal but this suggests
to us that we are going to have to look very
carefully in humans."
She said the next step was to examine the brains of
shift workers after death for evidence of any loss of
brain cells.
In the long-term, they think it might be possible to
develop a medicine that protects brain cells, by
boosting a natural chemical involved in sleep
recovery.
Prof Hugh Piggins of the University of Manchester
said the experiment indicated in a mouse model of
sleep deprivation what might go wrong in the
human brain.
"The authors draw parallels with night shift work in
humans and suggest how chronic sleep deprivation
could adversely affect not only our physical, but
also our mental health," he said.
"This possibility will need to be tested by a lot more
research. Nonetheless, it is consistent with many
recent reports of importance of circadian clocks
and sleep cycles for optimal well-being. " http://m.bbc.com/news/health-26630647

Let me go to bed then....

yes hoped so,,, am even having headache at morning whenever I had a short night.

hmmmn...what about those having insomnia

Nastydroid:
hmmmn...what about those having insomnia

they will become psycho.lol

Na only God dey save pesin

mesoade:
Na only God dey save pesin

abi