Scientists have named the main consequences of regular sleep deprivation

We all know that sleep is important, but we don't always want or can get enough sleep. Whether you suffer from insomnia or just want to make the most of your waking hours, sleep deprivation can have a number of unpleasant consequences for your life. They are the subject of a new scientific article from researchers from the Institute of Chronobiology and Sleep (USA), publishedNeural consequences of chronic sleep disruption / Trends in Neurosciences in Trends in Neurosciences.

This article is a collective analysis of earlier studies. It is noted that mostly scientists work not with people, but with models of behavior of people and animals. This is less conclusive than direct experiments, but researchers cannot permanently deprive volunteers of sleep, just to see what happens to them - given the number of already known negative consequences.

Sleep deprivation can lead to deficits in episodic memory and alertness. This effect may continue even after two to three nights of restorative sleep. Moreover, these effects persist even if the person feels less tired and has made up for the lack of sleep.

Another interesting effect that scientists have identified is that with lack of sleep, a person loses the ability to adequately assess how lack of sleep affects him. In other words, you may care that you feel normal, although in reality it is not. It also makes it harder to know if you've recovered from a lack of sleep, or if the deficit needs to be replenished further.

The most worrisome effect scientists have linked to sleep deprivation is an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases. These include Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Regular lack of sleep can also lower testosterone levels in men.

Finally, science has also shown that people who sleep less than six hours a night are 30% more likely to be obese.