{"id":50,"date":"2017-06-28T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-28T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=50"},"modified":"2018-06-28T17:05:35","modified_gmt":"2018-06-28T17:05:35","slug":"sleep-deprivation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/28\/sleep-deprivation\/","title":{"rendered":"New Research Links Sleep Deprivation to Neurological Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Discover\r\n\r\nIn order to maintain optimal health, you need at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Sleeping less than that may be the cause of your troubled sleep and fatigue. However, if your sleep issues are long lasting, it may be a problem that\u2019s beyond your control, like chronic snoring or a sleep disorder. Over time, these issues will cause sleep deprivation. New evidence even suggests that sleep deprivation is linked to serious neurological issues, so it\u2019s important to seek treatment right away.\r\n\r\n\r\n

Neurological Impacts from Sleep Deprivation<\/h2>\r\nLosing a good night\u2019s rest can impact your overall health and lead to serious issues. While occasional tossing and turning isn\u2019t generally a concern, if you find yourself consistently missing out on 7 hours of sleep, you\u2019ll become sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation can cause daytime fatigue, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart failure. In addition, a decrease in your cognitive abilities and mood disorders will develop. However, the consequences are more extensive than you may realize as recent research suggests that it can cause neurological problems.\r\n\r\nAccording to a study at the Marche Polytechnic University in Italy<\/a>, the brain in mice will start to break down a cell called astrocytes, which helps clean out worn cells. While not always a negative process, if the lack of sleep becomes chronic, it will make it more difficult for the microglial cells to rid the brain of the damaged ones. This has shown to increase the risk for neurodegeneration issues, like Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia.\r\n\r\nAnother study published by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience<\/a> recently found an increased risk for Parkinson\u2019s disease as well. According to the study, 80% of those who have a REM sleep behavior disorder are connected to having neurogenerative disorders later in life. When the REM-active neurons do not \u201cswitch on,\u201d it causes synucleinopathies to develop, which can be an early indicator for Parkinson\u2019s disease and dementia.\r\n

Improve Your Sleep at Home<\/h2>\r\nTo prevent sleep deprivation, it\u2019s best to improve your sleep quality and sleep hygiene with simple changes at home.\r\n