Two weeks ago, I posted a page debunking the popular myth "you cannot grow new brain cells". It turns out that the brain is constantly churning out new brain cells.
Just recently, however, I came across a new, related study:
- By cutting your sleep short, you limit the growth of new brain cells that form in your brain.
[Click here to view the the abstract of the article entitled "Sleep restriction suppresses neurogenesis induced by hippocampus-dependent learning" published in the Journal of Neurophysiology December 2005.]
Most adults need 8-9 of sleep per night to maintain proper health, but the majority I seem to know are getting much less than this.
Interestingly, over the past couple years, research has accumulated showing that several of the most important diseases may be caused or worsened by sleep deprivation:
- diabetes
- heart disease
- cancer
