Why bother sleeping?

Chronic sleep deprivation has more lasting effects on the brain than previously realized.  Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman of Medicine and Peking University have now linked extended wakefulness with injury to, and loss of, neurons that are essential for alertness and optimal cognition. Looking at how different patterns of sleep, which include, normal rest, short-term periods of wakefulness and long-term periods of wakefulness, affected these Locus Coeruleus neurons (LC). 

Humans and other mammals share these same neural networks, so looking at wakefulness in mice is a good proxy for understanding the sleep habits of humans.  

 Research indicated that when they subjected the mice to short-term sleep loss, there was an irregularity of sirtuin type 3 protein (known to play a role in energy production) by the LC neurons, which in turn protected the neurons from being injured by the sleep loss. However, when the mice were subjected to the long-term sleep loss over several days the irregularity of this protein by the LC neurons was reduced, leading to cell death. Ultimately, 25 percent of the LC neurons were lost in the mice subjected to the long-term sleep loss.

Colored regions correspond to clusters of significant neuron loss.

Extended wakefulness occurs when the body is awake for periods outside of usual sleep periods. For example, working the night shift for three days, then spending the remainder of the week on a usual cycle with one’s family. Or procrastinating on a paper all week and do it all the night before, then resuming one’s regular schedule. I feel that the lack of priority of sleep has to do with our ideology of sleep not just as an individual but as a country. In our culture as Americans we tend to always be incredibly stressed! And do we talk to someone about it or get help managing it? No, not likely.

 In America we have the ideology that if you work hard you will be successful, which is good because we applaud perseverance but also means making sacrifices. Think about the men in your families. How many pride them selves on not having have taken a sick day in the past 5 years. Many people see taking a day off work as something to look down on, like a sign of weakness. But if we look at other countries like Europe, we have people openly taking a day off because they need rest for the soul or feel like they deserve it. Our priorities have everything to do with perspective.

College student procrastinating on an essay due the next day, killing neurons without knowing so. 

 So where do we draw the line?  Staying up late for conferences, finishing paperwork for a meeting the next day, getting your ten page paper done the night before.  I can not tell you what to do, ultimately you decide. Let's just consider, being that dedicated students and professionals often pull all-nighters looking to gain an edge by cutting their sleep times short, do they actually end up losing that edge in the long term because of the loss of neurons that are so critical for attention?