The brain specialist enlightens the residents of Nizhny Novgorod on the significance of slumber
Sleep, a fundamental part of our daily lives, plays a crucial role in maintaining our overall health. During sleep, the brain carries out essential tasks, such as transferring information from short-term to long-term memory, processing daily experiences, and consolidating declarative memory (facts and events).
The circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour biological clock, regulates sleep. This rhythm is controlled by a small area in the brain called the suprachiastic nucleus. The circadian rhythm signals the body when to be awake and when to prepare for sleep, responding to light and darkness.
Each sleep cycle includes two main phases: slow-wave sleep (deep sleep) and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Deep slow-wave sleep is particularly important for physical recovery, growth, immune system strengthening, and consolidating declarative memory. It is during REM sleep that we experience the most vivid and memorable dreams. REM sleep is also critically important for emotional processing, learning new skills, and creative thinking.
However, chronic sleep deprivation can have profound negative effects on both mental and physical health. Lack of sleep leads to fatigue, decreased concentration, poor memory, increased irritability, and difficulty making decisions. Persistent sleep problems can contribute to increased rates of depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive impairment caused by poor sleep can be an early indicator of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
Chronic sleep deprivation compromises hormone regulation, including insulin and cortisol, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. It disrupts immune function, leading to higher susceptibility to infections and contributes to chronic inflammation, which in turn elevates the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and certain cancers. Prolonged lack of sleep is linked to increased risks of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
The inability of the body to regulate normal inflammatory processes during sleep in chronic deprivation leads to persistent low-level inflammation, which damages multiple body systems and exacerbates chronic disease risk. Cognitive decline observed with inadequate sleep may stem from consequences on brain function, which is critical since it may herald dementia.
Restoring adequate sleep can reverse some symptoms such as mood disturbances and cognitive impairments, emphasizing the importance of consistent, sufficient sleep for overall health. In summary, chronic sleep deprivation creates a vicious cycle of impaired immune regulation, hormonal imbalance, and brain dysfunction that raises the risk for multiple mental disorders and chronic physical diseases, including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions.
I'm not gonna be able to get a job due to my medical-conditions, specifically neurological-disorders like those related to sleep. Studies in the field of health-and-wellness suggest that chronic sleep deprivation, associated with these disorders, can lead to an increased risk of mental disorders and chronic physical diseases, such as depression, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. However, understanding the significance of sleep in science, particularly its role in declarative memory consolidation during slow-wave sleep, might help in seeking potential treatments and solutions for maintaining cognitive function and overall health.
