"Chronic Poor Sleep May Lead to Lasting Brain Damage"
"New research suggests that the consequences of chronic insufficient sleep are less reversible than previously understood and may involve lasting damage to the brain. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and China’s Peking University studied neural activity in mice under different levels of sleep loss. They found prolonged periods without sleep led to impaired neurological cell function and to the death of brain cells. This is some of the first evidence to indicate irreversible damage to the brain linked to insufficient sleep.
Scientists put mice on a rotating sleep routine, including periods of normal rest, short periods of wakefulness and also extended periods without sleep. The sleep model was designed to mimic a human shift worker’s sleep routine. After each sleep period, researchers conducted neurological examinations looking for evidence of damage and altered function. Researchers were particularly interested in the area of the brain known as the locus coeruleus (LC). LC neurons participate in a wide range of important neurological functions, including regulation of arousal, attention and wakefulness, as well as memory, emotional responses and cognitive function. Examining the mice after different degrees of sleeplessness, researchers found significant changes to the health and function of this area of the mice brain. They discovered that while LC neurons in mice were able to cope effectively through short-term periods of sleep deprivation, periods of extended wakefulness brought diminished function and eventual loss of brain cells: "
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-j-breus/sleep-brain-health_b_5508930.html
And of course he brags about only sleeping 3-4 hours a night.
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