Great Life Hacks for Improving Sleep

Furthermore, a good night’s sleep has been observed to positively impact memory and information retention. Though conclusive evidence to find specific structures of the brain which become affected by lack of sleep is yet to be found, there have been several practical tests performed which prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that sleep—or lack thereof—plays a vital role in the effectiveness of the person’s working memory, indirectly affecting his or her decision making and reasoning abilities. In an experiment performed by researchers, 40 subjects (18 female, 22 male, all adults) were subjected to only 26 minutes of sleep for 4 days. The participants were also subjected to cognitive testing before the experiment began, on the second day of the experiment, and after the fourth consecutive day of sleeping only 26 minutes each night. The results suggested a noticeable decrease in the cognitive functions of the patient. Specifically, the working memory of every participant was reduced, on average by 38 percent, compared to the control group.

As was said above, there is still yet to be found conclusive evidence to link specific structures which become affected by lack of sleep. However, it is more than clear that our functions and capabilities become compromised when we don’t get enough sleep every night. Furthermore, while some might be less affected by lack of sleep than others, its effects will eventually become present in everyone subjected to little sleep over extended periods of time. If not in the working memory or cognitive functions, some might start by showing irritability, intolerance, or other behavioral signs before experiencing cognitive impairment.