A study has discovered that sleep-deprived individuals experience ‘offline’ moments where their brain goes into a state identical to when they are asleep, even while their eyes are open. According to Study Finds, this particular research was conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was led by Laura Lewis and Zinong Yang.
Lack of sleep shuts the brain off
The study observed 26 adults, with an average age of 25.6 years, who underwent two scanning sessions. One session was after a normal spell of sleep, and the other after they had stayed up all night under observation.
MRI conducted on these individuals revealed that after going without sleep all night, they experienced moments where their brain activity was similar to when a person is asleep. For instance, waves of cerebrospinal fluid surged through their brains even when their eyes were open. This happens usually in non-REM sleep. Researchers found that the participants’ attention failed when this happened, meaning their body was forcing itself into a sleep-like state.
To monitor the attention of the sleep-deprived individuals, they were given stimuli to respond to at regular intervals. There was a clear pattern of brain activity whenever the participants failed to respond to these stimuli. Their pupils constricted, brain waves changed patterns, heart rate dropped, breathing slowed, and cerebrospinal fluid flowed out from the brain. When attention returned, these symptoms reversed.
The study concludes that even if an individual forcibly remains awake, the brain would generate moments of ‘rest’ where it would go into a state of sleep, as per Study Finds.
Also read: Study says your kitchen may be the hidden reason behind Urinary Tract Infection
Importance of sleep
According to the Cleveland Clinic, an adult requires 7-9 hours of sleep on a daily basis, though exceptions are there with people who may need more or less sleep in a day.
There are two distinct phases of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep. When a person begins sleeping, he/she enter NREM stage 1, then go into stages 2 and 3. Following this, the person enters REM, where dreams occur. This cycle repeats several times during a night of sleep.
Sleep allows an individual’s cells to recover and replenish their storage of energy. It also allows the body to heal injuries and your brain to properly organize your memory. So, sleep is vital for the body to rest, repair, and organize all the data being fed to the brain. No wonder then that the brain finds a way to get sleep even if you force yourself to stay awake.
FAQs
How much sleep does a person need?
The amount of sleep needed varies with age. An adult person needs 7-9 hours of sleep.
What happens when a person keeps himself forcibly awake?
The body experiences moments where, despite the eyes being open, the brain acts in the same way when it is asleep.
What is REM sleep?
This is when a person is in such a deep sleep that he/she experience dreams and the eye makes rapid movement.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
