Introduction

Sleep is accepted as a vital and organized cyclic program that ensures the human body can perform at its optimum. In today's day and age, prolonged wakefulness is a widespread phenomenon ranging from kids to adults. There are still plenty of unanswered questions in the field of sleep and wakefulness. When we stay awake for extended periods, it can be that we either completely miss out on sleep for a short period or consistently get less sleep than we need over a longer period. Due to hectic routines of both students and the working class, the latter is more typical in our everyday lives. Researchers have focused on studying the effects on missing out on sleep and found that it has negative impacts on our thinking and behaviour.¹

Discussion

Sleep deprivation can have both long-term and short- term effects on our cognitive functions. Short-term effects include poor attention span, excessive sleepiness, reduced emotional capacity and impaired judgment. Our ability to sustain attention for long periods takes a hit, so we might find ourselves needing more breaks or struggling to stay engaged. It has also been discovered that sleep deprivation causes consequences similar to intoxication, slowing thinking and reaction times. Insufficient sleep also affects place keeping, which involves following directions. Like mentioned above, inadequate sleep might also change one's comprehension of emotional information which is frequently crucial when making decisions, learning something new or accessing an issue. Individuals who don't get enough sleep are prone to make risky choices and concentrate more on the upsides of a situation than its drawbacks.¹

While the occasional all-nighter can have short-term detrimental effects on brain function and cognition, people with chronic sleep disorders may experience ongoing unfavourable effects on daily tasks. Long-term sleep deprivation may increase a person's risk of dementia and cognitive deterioration. Every 90-120 minutes or several times a night, a person cycles through the 3 stages of NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep which is followed by a period of REM sleep. During these cycles, the body and brain undergo unique changes that correlate to different stages of sleep. Both NREM and REM are important for memory association. According to studies, those who don't get enough sleep are more likely to develop distorted memories. Research shows that sleep helps the brain clear out potentially dangerous beta amyloid protein. These proteins form clusters in Alzheimer's disease called plaques which worsen cognitive function. Sleep deprivation of as much as one night can increase the amount of beta amyloid proteins in the brain. People with sleep problems have a considerably high risk of Alzheimer's disease. Limited sleep can also indirectly affect cognition, for example migraine sufferers are bound to have morning headache attacks when they don’t have sufficient sleep. Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression also deteriorate with lack of sleep.¹

Poor sleep does not affect everyone in the same way. Studies have shown that some people are more susceptible to cognitive decline due to lack of sleep and this may be influenced by genetics. According to research, adults are better at overcoming the effects of sleep deprivation than younger people. Teens are at a higher risk of cognitive detriment due to the developing brain.²

In summary, to maintain optimal cognitive abilities and to avoid diseases such as dementia it is crucial to prioritize your sleep and get the right amount every night.