The dangers of sleep deprivation

All human beings are familiar with the concept of sleeping, because it is a daily and essential activity for life. A Adequate sleep It allows, at the biological level, certain fundamental processes of the organism can be carried out. Among them, I know regulates metabolism, memory is consolidated and substances that are no longer useful are eliminated.

In general, adequate sleep hygiene will help our body work properly. Similarly, a study in Italy showed that sleep deprivation generates adverse effects on the brain. As if that were not enough, it was found that lack of sleep prolonged could degenerate in diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Content

• What happens while we sleep?
• Bad sleeping consequences
• How can I sleep better?
  • References

What happens while we sleep?

Sleeping is a repairing process that allows you to get the necessary energy to face next day. For this effect to occur, the body uses certain sleep mechanisms. To begin with, the body accommodates in a specific posture: it is reclined, with your eyes closed, it performs few movements and has a lower capacity to respond to the stimuli of the outside world.

Internally, the sleep implies a loss of consciousness, there is no control of the body or thoughts. In addition, the entire system is more relaxed than in a state of vigil: breathing, heart rate and brain activity become much slower. On the other hand, the eyes begin to move quickly. When resting, The low body temperature, the muscles are repaired and a “cleaning” of neuronal cells is performed. Even memories of what was done during the day are consolidated; So learning really takes place during the night.

In this thread of ideas, it is worth stopping to evaluate in depth the process of eliminating neuronal cells. Well, during the day, certain neuronal connections can be lost or damaged. AND, In normal sleep, these neurons are renewed Due to the action of microglial cells and astrocytes. In such a way, Neurological wear is repaired Through a process called phagocytosis.

Bad sleeping consequences

On average, A person should sleep from 7 to 10 hours every night. Even so, the factors that determine the amount of exact hours are diverse: it depends on the genetics, the environment and the activities carried out during the day. If one night we do not sleep enough, there is a cumulative 'debt' of sleep that will have to recover. Thus, thanks to the body's self -regulation capacity, we could sleep a little more the next day to pay this debt. Unfortunately, for some people sleep less than 7 hours becomes part of their routine; what could be harmful to your health.

How long can a sleeping person spend?

In 2018, a study was conducted about the effects of lack of sleep in the brain. Such research took place at Marche's Polytechnic University in Italy and was directed by DR. Michele Bellesi. For the experiment, the neurological response of four rodent groups that were exposed to different sleep patterns was analyzed. As a result, astrocytes had increased their phagocytosis capacity in mice that had been deprived of sleep for several days. This means that the brain would end up eliminating a significant amount of totally functional neurons. In addition, lA Dream Recovery may not reverse the damage, increasing the possibility of developing diseases such as Alzheimer's.

How can I sleep better?

As stated above, an inappropriate rest has dangerous consequences in the synaptic connections of neurons. In simple words, It seems as if neurons were 'devoured' during sleep deprivation. Therefore, it becomes necessary to apply certain measures to maintain good sleep hygiene.

Initially, the Going to bed should be a routine process, So every day we would have to go to bed and get up at the same time. Also, we must seek Sleep in an environment that incites tranquility to relaxationn. For example, have a soft and fluffy bed, with the light off and the room in silence. In the same way, it is better if the bed is directly associated with sleeping; So it is recommended to avoid performing other activities in this space.

In addition to this, our lifestyle can influence our ability to reconcile sleep satisfactorily. For example, vigorous exercises are better to perform them in the morning or afternoon and it is preferable to avoid the consumption of alcohol, caffeine or other stimulants; All this can affect our sleep habits. In addition, Just before going to bed we wouldn't be good to watch television or playing video games, They are highly stimulating. Finally, having thoughts that encourage concern, stress or anger before sleep will make it difficult to maintain a repair dream.

References

• Bellesi, m. Live, L. and others. SLEEP The Astrocytic Phagocytosis and Microglial Activation in Mouse Cortex Promotes. Journal of Neuroscience, May 24, 2017, 37 (21). Extracted from: https: // pubmed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/28539349/
• > Carrillo-Mora, P. Barajas-Martínez, k. and others. (2017). Sleep disorders, what are their consequences?. Magazine of the Faculty of Medicine of the UNAM, Vol. 61, nº1.
• Gómez, J. What happens while we sleep?. Children University/ Question Network. Extracted from: https: // www.EAFIT.Edu.CO/NINES/REDDELASPRIDENTAS/PAGES/QUE-PASA-MIQUE-DORMOS.ASPX
• Steve, a. (2022). The brain devours itself due to lack of sleep, according to a study. Teach me of science. Extracted from: https: // redeeccience.com/2022/03/23/el-cerebro-se-devora-a-si-mismo-by-la-falta-de-sueno-de-agreement-with-un-stud/