Different studies show that the insomnia, in people, causes slower response periods, decision making is affected, paying attention is difficult and poor memory is available. These subjects are more likely to feel anxiety, depression and have antisocial behaviors.
Scientists usually see these effects in studies where they force people to stay awake for 24 hours. However, Eti Ben Simonresearch scientist at the University of California, Berkeley Human Sleep Science Centerin a report in The New York Times, stated: “If you eliminate an hour or two of sleep for a couple of nights, you eventually see the same pattern emerge.”
In the brain, these changes are reflected as less activity in the prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, decision-making and other execution functions. At the same time, there is greater activity in the amygdala, an area of the brain related to feelings of fear and anxiety.
Lack of sleep also increases the activity of the nervous system, which influences stress. “Our blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol, all these components of the nervous system go up if you don’t sleep well,” said Ben Simon. To mitigate these effects, the main advice that experts give is to take a nap, which will improve performance in many of the cognitive processes affected by lack of sleep.
To avoid the “sleep inertia” that some people feel after taking a nap, it is suggested to limit it to 30 minutes. “Maybe you don’t even feel like you’re falling asleep,” he said. Kelly Baronprofessor of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utahwhich treats sleep disorders.
Baron finally concluded by pointing out the main advantage of napping: “Even a little bit of that light sleep helps your brain rest and improve your performance.”
Image gallery
