[HappaGuy]

New MRI Research Discovers the Very Very Obvious: Insomniacs are Confused Clumsy and Irritable
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SOURCE:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../MN00SUBTV.DTL

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Lack of sleep linked to emotional imbalance, imaging study suggests

Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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When Margaret Chau has a bad night's sleep, she knows to steer clear of loved ones the next day - she's cranky and impatient, and she tends to take it out on others.

"I don't want to deal with things because I'm afraid of not being able to do it rationally or logically," said the Millbrae woman, who suffers from chronic insomnia due to back pain. "I know myself, and I don't want to react badly or do something I might regret."

It's no secret that the sleep-deprived are usually grumpy, miserable and not much fun to be around, but new research from UC Berkeley using brain-scanning equipment helps explain why. The study, which was published Monday in the journal Current Biology, was the first to use MRI technology to show exactly what areas of the brain are affected by sleep deprivation.

Results show a connection between negative thinking and lack of sleep, and while there is still years, if not decades, of research to be done on the subject, the study's authors say it could point to a connection between sleep deprivation and psychiatric disorders like depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

It could even help explain road rage, said Matthew Walker, director of UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory and senior author of the study, which was coordinated with researchers from Harvard University.

"One of the functions of sleep is to reset and replenish the emotional integrity of our brain circuits so we can approach the day's emotional challenges in appropriate ways," Walker said. "If you don't get a good night's sleep, you'll be making irrational choices."

Americans are among the most sleep-deprived people in the world, doctors and sociologists say. About 40 percent of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep a night, according to a 2005 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, and 75 percent reported having some sort of sleep disorder one or two nights a week.

National guidelines recommend people get between seven or eight hours of sleep a night.

Polls also show that Americans are getting less sleep all the time, as people deal with daily distractions, from work and family life to just staying up late watching TV or surfing the Internet. The National Sleep Foundation poll found that only 26 percent of adult Americans were getting at least eight hours of sleep a night in 2005, compared to 35 percent in 1998.

But lack of sleep isn't just confined to adults.

Dr. Rafael Pelayo, director of Pediatric Sleep Service at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, said he's noticed sleep deprivation is a growing problem among teenagers.

"They seem to be modeling their parents and getting as little sleep as possible. They're routinely staying awake past their parents and they're drinking more coffee," Pelayo said. "Sleep is still an afterthought for most people; it's something they can sacrifice. But sleep is actually an important cornerstone of health."

Lack of sleep can lead to a loss of concentration and memory, can make people more sluggish and reduce motor skills, and can even weaken the immune system. But it also increases activity in the parts of the brain related to a variety of psychiatric disorders, according to the new research.

In the UC Berkeley study of 26 young adults, half of the subjects were kept awake for 35 hours straight and the other half were allowed a normal night's sleep in that same time period. Then all of the subjects were hooked up to an MRI and shown a series of images, some of them disturbing pictures of graphic violence or gory injuries. Researchers monitored what happened in their brains as each image was shown.

When shown the disturbing images, the sleep-deprived subjects had a significant jump in activity in the amygdala, the section of the brain that puts the body on alert to protect itself. At the same time, activity slowed down in the prefrontal cortex, which controls logical reasoning.

Subjects who had gotten a full night of sleep showed normal brain activity.

What this means for most people is that a sleepless night can cause them to overreact to emotional challenges that they would otherwise be able to tolerate with no trouble, Walker said.

That's why new parents might be more prone to snap at each other over petty arguments, or morning commuters might be more likely to lay on the horn when someone cuts them off instead of just let it go, Walker said. It also might make horror movies scarier, as the brain doesn't do quite as good a job at separating fact from fiction.

"We become emotionally dis-regulated," Walker said. "Ordinarily, if you saw a gun pointed at your face, you wouldn't overreact because your brain puts it in context and tells you that you're sitting in a movie theater staring at a screen. But that function seems to be disconnected when you're sleep-deprived."

Much more research needs to be done, Walker said, but sleep experts are already hopeful that more study could lead to refined options for treating not just sleep disorders, but psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety.

Dr. Anil Rama, medical director of the Regional Sleep Medicine Laboratory at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose, said he's intrigued by Walker's research, but notes that the brain responses to sleep deprivation are likely so complicated that not much will change in terms of treatment any time soon.

Eventually, "if we start looking at the pathways that are involved with sleep deprivation, perhaps we can intervene there," he said. "But I'm skeptical that isolating one particular pathway is very important. It has to be in the context of a whole body of literature, and there are so many things our emotional centers are tied into."
Online resources
For information about sleep and sleep disorders, go to:

links.sfgate.com/ZBHU

links.sfgate.com/ZBHV

links.sfgate.com/ZBHW

Frequently asked questions about sleep disorders

Q: What is a sleep disorder?

A: A sleep disorder is anything that makes it difficult for people to fall asleep, stay asleep or get a full night of rest. Sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy. Parasomnias - including nightmares, night terrors and sleepwalking - also can disrupt sleep.

Q: How much sleep do people need?

A: It varies depending on age and overall health, and some people simply need more or less sleep than others. Most adults require seven or eight hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, but some people function fine on as few as five hours of sleep, and some people need 10 or more hours of sleep.

Q: What happens when people don't get enough sleep?

A: Most people will feel tired and groggy the next day, and report a lack of concentration and memory. Many people will be more irritable and impatient, or, alternatively, they will become "punch drunk" and giddy.

Sleep deprivation can also weaken the immune system and make people more prone to accidents.

Q: How do doctors treat sleep disorders?

A: It depends on the disorder. Insomnia and other disorders can be treated with medication, but sleeping pills can be addictive. Some tips to get a more restful night's sleep include keeping to a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends; avoiding stressful or vigorous activities just before bed; using relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation before bed; or using earplugs or eyeshades.

Losing weight, getting regular exercise and avoiding alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine may also help.

E-mail Erin Allday at eallday@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

[Mugato]

Thanks, great article.

[Weed Wizard]

Thank you..I know I Have big Insomnia issues..Would love to just sleep one night through..much love..

[Frankie]

Nice find, HappaGuy. I'm one of the >5 hours peeps and I hate it. Chronic pain wakes me up at least 2-3 times a night. Sleeping pills, tranx and pain relievers don't work, and MMJ is losing effectiveness but still the best. I would love the luxury of 8 hours sleep just once. Chronic pain and sleep deprivation are not a good combo...I guess that's why I'm such an asshole.

[HappaGuy]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Nice find, HappaGuy. I'm one of the >5 hours peeps and I hate it. Chronic pain wakes me up at least 2-3 times a night. Sleeping pills, tranx and pain relievers don't work, and MMJ is losing effectiveness but still the best. I would love the luxury of 8 hours sleep just once. Chronic pain and sleep deprivation are not a good combo...I guess that's why I'm such an asshole.

Ohhhh! The irony!

No asshole around here methinks. Just a couple of insomniacs sorely challenged to manage their moods by lack of sleep.

MMJ stops helping because our systems develop tolerance to it, and it takes more to achieve the same effect. Options (a) do without for awhile (HAH! nothing will get better til you sleep. People who sleep don't understand that a day without sleep is like walking on hot rocks.

(b) I got through a crucial night last week by resorting to extreme measures. I dissolved 1/2 gram of oil into vegetable oil over low heat, and ate it soaked in banana bread. Slept and dreamt and woke OK when I really needed it and had every reason to believe I wouldn't.

BTW do you know why you have insomnia?

I went through over a decade of doctors who diagnosed me as depressed, manic-depressive, a malingering hypochondriac, and simply a bad character.

In 2006 my second EEG turned up epilepsy. I have slept since, -mostly, if I eat my scrips religiously and avoid the various seizure triggers which populate most of what people consider a normal life.

It was such a surprise to me that I am inclined to suggest to insomniacs discuss EEGs with their doctor.

I had never heard of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (="complex partial seizures) but it turns out you can have "walking seizures" where your body continues moving around - a bit aimlessly - but your awareness has gone to a far away place.

So maybe this will help you.

I'd like that.