Sleep Deprivation and Brain Damage

Sleep deprivation and brain damage are directly linked, especially in the case of adolescents, where sleep deprivation causes a hindrance in the development of important neurons in the brain, which results in brain damage and lasting mental illnesses which are difficult to manage on a longer term.

American researchers have discovered that acute sleep deprivation in teenagers and pre-teens have a direct impact on the development and reduction of synapses in the brain, which deals with the wiring of the nerve cells to enable communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

It is well known that mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia stem from sleep issues, and as adolescents are particularly susceptible to such disorders, the importance of sleep is critical in their lives, as their developing brains are the most vulnerable to such diseases which are chronic and need lifetime management.

In their study, the scientists observed and judged adolescent mice for a period of eight to ten hours in different dependant variables which involved spontaneous awakening, allowed sleeping and forced to stay-awake situations. It was discovered that the main implication that arises due to sleep deprivation during adolescence is a lasting impact on the permanent wiring of mental synapses which are the foundation of an individual’s mental state for the rest of his/her life.

It is medically proven that rest is essential for the optimal functioning of the human mind and body. As the rest patterns for the many regions of the brain differ according to sleep cycles, cutting short on sleep is a dangerous thing to do. If a region of the brain does not receive the rest it requires, it automatically starts to slip into micro-sleep, something which happens when regions of your brain shuts down to give you several seconds of sleep which generates delta waves. Delta waves have the capability to disrupt the standard EEG of a person that is awake, effectively impairing that person’s cognitive functionality.

A person will only slip into micro-sleep before a major performance failure happens, as sleep deprivation causes brain damage by causing our brains to depreciate, directly affecting our waking behavior.