Research Warns Against the Effects of Sleep Loss During Learning

(Newswire.net — March 17, 2022) Orlando, FL — Sleep loss has long been studied due to its negative effects on the various aspects of health. It is worth keeping in mind that it has been particularly found detrimental to the brain.

A study has shown sleep loss hijacks the activity of the brain during learning. It is important to note that sleep is crucial for consolidating memories, and its deprivation interferes with memory and learning. 

A new study reveals that getting only half a night’s sleep hijacks the brain’s ability to unlearn fear-related memories. Researchers say this might place people at a heightened odds of conditions like anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorder. 

This research was published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

“This study provides us with new insights into how sleep deprivation affects brain function to disrupt fear extinction,” said Cameron Carter, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

The research team, which was spearheaded by Anne Germain, Ph.D., at the University of Pittsburgh and Edward Pace-Schott, Ph.D., at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, looked into 150 healthy adults in the sleep laboratory

“We found that among the three groups, those who had only gotten half a night’s sleep showed the most activity in brain regions associated with fear and the least activity in areas associated with control of emotion,” said Dr. Pace-Schott.

It came as a surprise that individuals who got no sleep lacked brain activation in fear-related areas during fear conditioning and extinction. 

Twelve hours later during the extinction recall, their brain activity appeared more similar to those with normal sleep. This suggests that a limited night of sleep may be worse than none at all.

An increasing number of studies are looking into the remedies potentially helpful for sleep improvement. The good news is that some kitchen ingredients like lion’s mane may be helpful. 

This medicinal mushroom has long been widely studied by researchers due to its remarkable healing benefits. 

In some studies, the lion’s mane has been able to demonstrate its ability to support circadian cycles. What makes it all the more beneficial is that it also supports natural rhythms of sleep and wakefulness.

There are undeniably many health benefits linked with the use of this remedy. It even has brain health benefits and may potentially ward off cognitive decline. 

It is widely reported nowadays through the use of supplements like Divine Bounty Lion’s Mane, which is popularized by its high potency and purity (http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Lions-Mane-Mushroom-Capsules/dp/B07LGR1KN7).