One sleepless night affects the brain as a blow to the head.
A good night’s sleep is essential for the health of the organism as a whole, but determines also the normal functioning of the brain.
Lack of sleep does not allow the brain to clear from all of the toxins and leads to damage, and most probably to loss of brain cells. Insomnia increases risk of Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, these are the results from the latest research.
Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden found that the damages from one only sleepless night are similar to those after a blow to the head. In the brain of all tested healthy male were discovered enhancing quantities of chemicals that indicate brain damage.
Prof. Christian Benedict explains that chemicals NSE and S-100B are biological indicators for brain injury from a concussion.
“We found that their level increases in the blood of group participants, spent a sleepless night. The increase is not to the extent they reached after a head injury, for example, but still significant, “said the member of the research team.
“During sleep, the brain is cleared of toxic substances and NSE and S-100B increase as a reaction to these substances,” he said. According to him, the discovery confirms previous studies showing that the brain uses sleep to be cleared. Prof. Benedict says his research supports previous studies that have linked lack of sleep with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis Parkinskon reported Thursday.
Increase of chemicals in the blood after lack of sleep may mean that lack of sleep leads to loss of brain tissue, explains the researcher. “In conclusion, our discovery shows that a good night’s sleep is very important to maintain brain health,” says Professor. Benedict
