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Burning the Midnight Oil? Big Mistake
This Week's Tips
Still skimping on sleep? You'll never learn. Literally.
It appears that too little sleep can take a big toll on the part of your brain that's wired to help you learn from mistakes.
Mind Meltdown
Brain scans of sleep-deprived people performing gambling tasks showed something quite revealing: The orbitofrontal cortex, an area that aids in learning from a loss or a bad decision, was less active. Researchers suspect that poor sleep, besides prompting risky behaviors, hinders the brain's ability to process emotions, such as regret. The result? You're less likely to think about the consequences of a decision. Find out how sleep deprived you are right now by taking this assessment.
Sleep, Sleep Relief
If being a bad learner isn't enough, here are some other key reasons to set aside 6 to 8 hours of shuteye tonight:
- Getting your ZZZs may help control your blood sugar. Here's how.
- Deep sleep may help make you skinnier. Learn more about the deep-sleep diet.
- It's good for your heart! Here's how a lack of sleep makes your heart work harder.
RealAge Benefit:
Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night can make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger.
Sleep deprivation elevates expectation of gains and attenuates response to losses following risky decisions. Venkatraman, V., Chuah, Y. M., Huettel, S. A., Chee, M. W., Sleep 2007 May 1;30(5):603-609.
