Sleep deprivation and the effects on cognitive functioning.

Are you struggling to sleep like many people?

The biological necessity for sleep is often underestimated. It is not just a period of rest, but a fundamental process required for optimal brain functioning. Without sufficient sleep, the brain’s ability to process information, regulate emotions and make decisions is significantly impaired. Mounting scientific evidence suggests that sleep deprivation carries significant cognitive costs, which carries detrimental effects on your brain.

Rapid Eye Movement

Sleep progresses through two main phases; non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). NREM consists of 3 stages, with each stage progressing into a deeper sleep. REM sleep is the stage at which we dream. Recuperation theories suggest that being awake disrupts the homeostasis (internal physiological stability) of the body, and that sleep is required to restore it. During deep sleep and REM sleep, the brain strengthens synaptic connections which are formed during the day.

Memories and Sleep

Memories are also consolidated, during sleep. Brain areas such as the hippocampus and amygdala are active during sleep for this reason, meaning the quality and quantity of one’s sleep affects their ability to remember. For example, Rasch and Born (2013) asked sleep deprived students to view and remember images. They found that the students performed up to 40% worse on recall two days later, and also found decreased activity in the hippocampus.

Sleep deprivation can impact nearly every domain of cognitive functioning. Some symptoms of sleep deprivation include irritability, edginess, inability tolerate stress and problems with concentration. It also degrades attention and vigilance, making it harder to engage in more complex cognitive processing. Basner & Dinges (2011) used psychomotor vigilance tasks (PVTs) to examine the effect of sleep deprivation on reaction time, and found significant impairments, highlighting the importance of sleep on focus and decision making.

Another major consequence of sleep deprivation is altered emotional functioning. A main feature of this is the decline in mood. Mood disorders are found in one third to one half of patients with chronic sleep problems (Benca et al., 2997) such as anxiety and depression.

Sleep deprivation can be reversed.

After the sleep deprivation period, much of the sleep that was lost will be regained. An extreme case of this is Randy Gardiner. He managed to stay awake for 11 days (264 hours) and then slept for 14 hours. After this, he went back to his 8-hour schedule. This is very surprising, as he didn’t need to “catch up” on all his lost sleep. This is because when sleep deprived, the brain prioritises deep sleep and REM sleep over other stages in order to restore normal function quicker than expected. So while chronic sleep deprivation should still be taken seriously, it’s reassuring to know that the body is able to recover and that with the right conditions, we are able to restore healthy functioning quickly.

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BLOGGER – Isabelle Skaliotis

My name is Isabelle Skaliotis. I am a second-year undergraduate Psychology Student at the University of Liverpool. I am fascinated by how the brain works and gaining an understanding on theoretical concepts. I am keen on constantly finding new opportunities to seek experiences that will help broaden my knowledge on the mind and behaviour.