Revealed: why we need a good night's sleep

[steven johnson]

Sleep clears the mind. Don't believe me? Read on.

By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Friday, 3 April 2009
AP

A study into slumber has found that the nerve connections built up in the brain during a busy day are pruned back during the night in an attempt to keep the mind from overloading on junk information.
The findings lend support to the idea that a good night's sleep is essential for consolidating important memories of the previous day and getting rid of things that would otherwise clog up the system.
The researchers behind the study said the results showed how important it was for people to get a good night's sleep to be on top form the next day.
"Much of what we learn in a day, we don't really need to remember," she said. "If you have used up all the space, you can't learn more before you clean out the junk that is filling up your brain."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/revealed-why-we-need-a-good-nights-sleep-1661100.html

[Patchuli]

1. Vewy vewy interesting, indeed...

I know sometimes that junk stuff tends to crowd the important stuff right out my ear!

[steven johnson]

2. Sleep problems linked to suicide

It's even more important than that.

The reason for the link is unclear
Adults who suffer chronic sleep problems may be more likely to try to commit suicide, US research suggests.
Doctors are being warned to be vigilant if a patient reports disturbed sleep - even if they have no history of mental health problems.
The more types of sleep disturbances people had, the more likely they were to have thoughts of killing themselves, or actually try to do so.
The study will be presented at a World Psychiatric Association meeting.
This study reinforces the fact that good sleep is vital for good physical, mental and emotional health


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7972646.stm

[Patchuli]

6. I have no doubt of that

since I've had occasional bouts of insomnia. It could drive me literally quite mad not to sleep over a prologned period.

[Kali]

3. I think we are going to find that sleep is at least as important as nutrition

and like good Americans we sleep as badly as we eat.

[izquierdista]

4. By that logic, Rush must be an insomniac

With all the junk information in his brain, he probably hasn't slept since he started his radio broadcasts...

[moriah]

5. Think sleep isn't important? Try staying up five days straight.

Without chemical assistance. You thought tweakers tripped just because of the drug? Think again... I know this from experience. I got a nice vacation for a week in a padded room... (Yeah, I needed a vacation but I would much rather have had better sights, and trust me, it's not cheap accommodations...)

Sleep disorders really, really suck.

[cobalt1999]

7. I remember reading how our sleep time has decreased over time

Evolutionarily, the other great apes sleep around 10-12 hours per night (which is what we probably evolved doing).

Two Hundred years ago the average American was sleeping 9 hours per night.

Once electric lighting was common that dropped to 8 hours per night.

Once T.V. was common that dropped to 7 hours per night.

I think the current number is something like 6 1/2 hours per night average.

In a evolutionarily short time we cut our sleep time by about 40%. I have no doubts that screws up something.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. And worst of all, not sleeping is considered virtuous

I used to see advice columns telling young mothers who felt that they didn't have time to do everything that needed to get done that they should just get up an hour earlier. None of that sleep nonsense when you're holding down a full-time job and taking care of a household. :sarcasm:

[cobalt1999]

10. In the business world, getting by with mimimal sleep is still a "badge of honor"

People still brag about taking the red-eye, working all day, catching up on emails all night, and getting by on 3-4 hours per night.

[steven johnson]

9. Two more reasons to get enough sleep: suicidal ideation and hypertension

So now we find out that lack of sleep makes us hypertensive, suicidal, cranky and stupid.

Two new studies suggest that insomnia may have harmful affects on both the body and mind, including a rise in blood pressure and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. "The message is that insomnia is not a minor problem that can be ignored," says Dr. Alexandros N. Vgontzas, director of the Center for Sleep Disorder Medicine at Penn State University.

In the first study published Wednesday in the journal Sleep, Vgontzas and his colleges studied 1,741 men and women. People with long-term insomnia (a year or longer) and a short sleep time (less than five hours a night) were five times as likely to have high blood pressure as people without insomnia who slept six or more hours per night. People with insomnia who slept five to six hours a night were three-and-a-half times as likely to have high blood pressure as insomnia-free sleepers who snoozed for at least six hours a night.

In the second study, a team led by Dr. Marcin Wojnar, of the Department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan looked for a link between insomnia and suicidal behavior ...the researchers found that people with sleep problems -- such as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep, or early-morning awakening -- nearly every night were about twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts, suicide planning, or an actual suicide attempt as those with no sleep problems.

Wojnar says insufficient sleep may have a negative impact on cognitive function, which may result in poor judgment, feelings of hopelessness, or a lack of impulse control. Also, insomnia may affect serotonin, the brain's "good mood" chemical. Wojnar estimates that effectively treating sleep symptoms could prevent 20 suicide attempts per 6,000 people. (About 28 to 50 people in the study with sleep problems attempted suicide.)

Suicidal thoughts, high blood pressure associated with insomnia