Category

Sleep Science

Nov 21
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Science underestimated dangerous effects of sleep deprivation – Science Daily

By Brain Health, Sleep Science, Workplace Productivity and Safety No Comments

Researchers at Michigan State University conducted a large study to explore the impact of sleep deprivation on higher-order cognitive processes.   

Previous research has shown how sleep deprivation can impair a person’s ability to follow a procedure and maintain attention. The new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, is the first of its kind to assess how sleep deprivation impacts ‘placekeeping’ – or, the ‘ability to complete a series of steps without losing one’s place, despite potential interruptions.’ 

The study found that when sleep deprived, participants were twice as likely to make placekeeping errors, and showed three times as many lapses in attention.

Read the full news release in Science Daily
Feb 14
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Study helps solve mystery of how sleep protects against heart disease – National Institutes of Health

By Heart Health, Sleep Science No Comments

Researchers based at Massachusetts General Hospital have discovered one way that sleep protects against atherosclerosis, the buildup of arterial plaques. Their study, published in Nature, describes the mechanism by which insufficient sleep increases production of inflammatory white blood cells known to be major contributors to atherosclerosis.

“We’ve identified a mechanism by which a brain hormone controls production of inflammatory cells in the bone marrow in a way that helps protect the blood vessels from damage,” explained Filip Swirski, Ph.D., the study’s senior author. “This anti-inflammatory mechanism is regulated by sleep, and it breaks down when you frequently disrupt sleep or experience poor sleep quality. It’s a small piece of to a larger puzzle.”

Read the full news release published by the National Institutes of Health