It all centers on the prefrontal lobe, the part of the brain that keeps emotions in check. Sleep-deprived subjects (they were kept awake for 35 hours) had their prefrontal lobes measured with an MRI. Researchers found that their emotional centers were over 60 percent more reactive than in subjects who had normal sleep.
“This adds to the critical list of sleep’s benefits,” researcher Matthew Walker said in a prepared statement. “Sleep appears to restore our emotional brain circuits, and, in doing so, prepares us for the next day’s challenges and social interactions. Most importantly, this study demonstrates the dangers of not sleeping enough. Sleep deprivation fractures the brain mechanisms that regulate key aspects of our mental health.”
Are you getting enough sleep? A National Sleep Foundation survey found that almost half (48 percent) of all adults age 55 and older report some form of sleep problem at least a few nights a week. The National Coalition for Sleep Disorders in Older People, a group of aging, geriatric medicine and sleep organizations, is currently developing sleep guidelines for older adults. Look for these recommendations by mid-2008.
Until then, be sure to talk about sleep issues with your physician.
SOURCES: Current Biology, American Journal of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, National Sleep Foundation
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