Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSleeping, day or night, vital to maintaining a healthy body, lifestyle
By A.J. Donatoni
Posted: 2/13/07, 9:49 PM EST Section: News
It turns out a daytime nap isn't such a waste of time after all.
Getting the right amount of sleep at night and frequently napping during the day are good for the brain and heart, respectively, according to two studies that traced the effects of sleep.
The first study, conducted by researchers from Princeton University, suggested that a lack of sleep may cause the brain to stop developing new cells and has an adverse effect on the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in memory processes.
The second study, headed by Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos of Harvard University, found that taking frequent midday naps greatly reduces the chances of fatal heart problems, according to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on Monday.
The Princeton study showed an increase of stress hormones on subjects who were sleep-deprived.
"The researchers knew before the study that stress causes a reduction in new cell creation," said Dr. Robert Barlow, professor emeritus of ophthalmology and neuroscience at Syracuse University. "The question was if somehow sleep deprivation was related to stress and connected to the blocking of cells in the hippocampus."
The hippocampus is the region of the brain associated with memory, and the study found that experimental rats deprived of sleep for 72 hours were not developing new cells in this region.
"They found the connection," Barlow said. "Sleep deprivation essentially acts as a stressor and that stressor elevated testosterone and other body-made steroids."
Sleep is especially important for college students, Barlow said, because memory is a direct function of the hippocampus. Sleep deprivation prevents new cells from developing there, which could have an adverse effect on memory.
"Relevant to student life, sleep deprivation is a bad idea - there's no question about that," he said. "There are hypotheses about how sleep may be a factor in consolidating memory."
The Harvard study found that the risk of fatal heart problems reduces with frequent naps in the middle of the day. This study also found that getting extra sleep reduces stress, which was the focus of the Princeton study.
Getting the right amount of sleep at night and frequently napping during the day are good for the brain and heart, respectively, according to two studies that traced the effects of sleep.
The first study, conducted by researchers from Princeton University, suggested that a lack of sleep may cause the brain to stop developing new cells and has an adverse effect on the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in memory processes.
The second study, headed by Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos of Harvard University, found that taking frequent midday naps greatly reduces the chances of fatal heart problems, according to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on Monday.
The Princeton study showed an increase of stress hormones on subjects who were sleep-deprived.
"The researchers knew before the study that stress causes a reduction in new cell creation," said Dr. Robert Barlow, professor emeritus of ophthalmology and neuroscience at Syracuse University. "The question was if somehow sleep deprivation was related to stress and connected to the blocking of cells in the hippocampus."
The hippocampus is the region of the brain associated with memory, and the study found that experimental rats deprived of sleep for 72 hours were not developing new cells in this region.
"They found the connection," Barlow said. "Sleep deprivation essentially acts as a stressor and that stressor elevated testosterone and other body-made steroids."
Sleep is especially important for college students, Barlow said, because memory is a direct function of the hippocampus. Sleep deprivation prevents new cells from developing there, which could have an adverse effect on memory.
"Relevant to student life, sleep deprivation is a bad idea - there's no question about that," he said. "There are hypotheses about how sleep may be a factor in consolidating memory."
The Harvard study found that the risk of fatal heart problems reduces with frequent naps in the middle of the day. This study also found that getting extra sleep reduces stress, which was the focus of the Princeton study.
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