Healthy Sleep Promotes A Healthy Brain, Study Finds

One night of sleep deprivation increases morning concentrations of molecules that signal a decline in brain tissue, Swedish scientists have found. For the study, fifteen normal-weight men were sleep-deprived for one night, and then slept a normal eight hours. A night of total sleep loss was followed by increased blood concentrations of NSE and S-100B, brain molecules that typically rise in blood under conditions of brain damage. “Our results indicate that a lack of sleep may promote neurodegenerative processes,” the researchers concluded, “ and “a good night’s sleep may be critical for maintaining brain health.”