The Hidden Effects of Losing Sleep

Sleep deprivation can have effects which may not seem obvious. In a recent research study concerning the impact of recovery sleep on health, subjects were deprived of sleep during the week and then allowed to sleep in to recover their lost sleep. Control subjects were not deprived of sleep. Not surprisingly, the subjects that were not deprived of sleep were more mentally alert. The sleep deprived subjects reported that they “felt better” after sleeping in but their mental alertness was still lowered. Their ability to pay attention went down after being deprived of sleep and did not improve after sleeping in. The authors of the study explained, “two nights of extended recovery sleep may not be sufficient to overcome behavioral alertness deficits resulting from mild sleep restriction.” People working in jobs which require mental alertness and high levels of safety should be especially careful in their sleep patterns. Some professionals that may be impacted are those in health care or transportation. It is important to stick with a regular sleep cycle, on each day of the week. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also shows that lack of sleep can lead to health consequences ranging from weight gain, dizziness, behavioral disorders, or even depression.

We may not fully understand the effects of repeating the deprivation/recovery sleep pattern regularly. Many people go through a sleep deprivation and recovery cycle each week for years of their lives. Repeating this method each week may have long-term effects we do not know the full effects of.

Getting stuck in a sleep deprivation and sleep recovery cycle can impact your mental alertness and other functioning. Contact FusionSleep if you are concerned about the amount of sleep you are getting on a regular basis, especially if you believe this amount is adversely effecting your healthy.