The side effects of Sleep Deprivation

January 12, 2009 by Randy  
Filed under Sleep Disorders

Sleep deprivation can be defined as the lack of necessary sleep.  There are various causes of sleep deprivation including excessive work load which does not allow the body to get enough time for sleep, or other sleep disorders such as insomnia, depressions, jet lags or any medical illness.

If a person does not get sleep at night it is natural that there will be sleepiness during the daytime.  As a result people cannot perform at their maximum productivity during the daytime.  It can also cause accidents when they are on the roads. In the long run there are serious effects on the brain and behavior of a person who is deprived of sleep at night.

Sleep is required for the neurons regeneration in the cerebral cortex and also for forming new memory cells and generating new synaptic connections.  The cerebral lobe in the cortex helps in the processing of speech. So, it will not be uncommon to find a person who has gone through long periods of sleeplessness to have a slurred speech.

Apart from the problem of slurred speech it can impair the ability to make Judgment, control impulses and failure to concentrate. Hallucinations are also one of the effects of sleep deprivation but only happens after prolonged period of the disorder.  So, as we see the phenomenon can cause many symptoms and need to be tackled early.  Medical advice is suggested at the first signs of symptoms.

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