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Research Suggests Pulling All-Nighters Can Cause Permanent Damage

Posted by samzenpus on from the we-can-sleep-when-we're-dead dept.

First time accepted submitter nani popoki writes "Skipping a good night's sleep can cause brain damage according to a new study. From the article: 'Are you a truck driver or shift worker planning to catch up on some sleep this weekend? Cramming in extra hours of shut-eye may not make up for those lost pulling all-nighters, new research indicates. The damage may already be done — brain damage, that is, said neuroscientist Sigrid Veasey from the University of Pennsylvania. The widely held idea that you can pay back a sizeable "sleep debt" with long naps later on seems to be a myth, she said in a study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience. Long-term sleep deprivation saps the brain of power even after days of recovery sleep, Veasey said. And that could be a sign of lasting brain injury.'"

10 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Oh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...Shit.

    1. Re:Oh... by milkmage · · Score: 5, Informative

      did you actually RTFA?

      LONG TERM sleep deprivation. As in your lifestyle - swing shifters, etc. Not the occasional amphetamine binge, or caffeine fueled cram/D&D/gaming session.

      never mind the actual experiment they conducted where they found neurons destroyed in the brains of mice that were kept on a wonky sleep schedule.

      our bodies are TUNED to be active during the day, sleep at night.

      probably contributes to jetlag.. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C... "Although circadian rhythms are endogenous ("built-in", self-sustained), they are adjusted (entrained) to the local environment by external cues called zeitgebers, commonly the most important of which is daylight."

    2. Re:Oh... by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Funny

      You know what probably REALLY gives you brain damage? Superstition.

      Fortunately a lucky rabbit's foot gives 100% protection against this effect.

  2. Well that's lovely by jonnythan · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... as I read this at 1 AM when I have to be up at 6:30 tomorrow. Heh. "Tomorrow."

  3. Dec 2013 Research by mynamestolen · · Score: 5, Informative

    Dec2103 Cut and Paste from internet (I didn't record where): Sleep deprivation has long been established as a helpful tool for the treatment of patients suffering from depression. However, how and why it works are still unknown. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have indicated that large-scale brain network connectivity, especially in the so-called default mode network, seems to be changed in depression. Bosch et al. investigated whether sleep deprivation could influence this brain connectivity. They discovered that sleep deprivation decreased functional connectivity between a brain area called the posterior cingulate cortex and the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex. In contrast, connectivity between the dorsal nexus, a region that plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of depression, and two areas within the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was increased. These sleep deprivation–induced changes in resting-state connectivity indicate a shift in dominance from a more affective to a more cognitive network. This shift toward improved cognitive control should be particularly beneficial in depressed patients who suffer from rumination, negative anticipation, and excessive feelings of guilt and shame.

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    work in progress
  4. Re:sounds implausible to me by pipedwho · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sleep deprivation has been a natural and common occurrence throughout human evolution. It seems highly implausible that "an all-nighter" would cause permanent brain damage in any meaningful sense.

    I doubt a single all-nighter is going to cause a measurable change to your long term brain function. However, anything that takes a small toll, may become measurable in aggregate after a given number of occurrences.

    Regarding human evolution; people generally sleep when it is dark. And with no unnatural sources of light, historically sleep deprivation would not have been anywhere near as common as it has become in modern society.

  5. Re:sounds implausible to me by artor3 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Being eaten by tigers was also common and natural. Natural is not a synonym for healthy.

    This study is a long way from proving anything, but I suspect a lot of people will just dismiss it entirely because they don't want to believe it.

  6. Re:sounds implausible to me by Concerned+Onlooker · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Natural is not a synonym for healthy."

    Unless, of course, you are the tiger.

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    http://www.rootstrikers.org/
  7. In mice by EvilSS · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Research Suggests Pulling All-Nighters Can Cause Permanent Damage in mice. The study was done on mice, not people. While it's an interesting first step, it is not in anyway conclusive that the results also apply to humans.

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    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  8. Re:sounds implausible to me by infolation · · Score: 5, Funny

    Anyone who's had children knows that sleep deprivation, and all-nighters, are routine during the first two years.

    Although, arguably, bringing up kids involves a certain amount of inherent brain damage anyway.