Lack of sleep may be an effective antidepressant, study finds
- Study: Sleep loss increases dopamine release and rewires the brain
- Sleep deprivation temporarily increases sexual arousal and aggression
- Doctor: Adequate sleep is best long-term
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(NewsNation) — Many Americans enjoyed an extra hour of sleep as daylight saving ended however; a recent Northwestern University study suggests that getting less sleep may have mood-boosting and antidepressant effects.
Staying up all night might not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but according to researchers, it can have some unexpected benefits.
“We found that sleep loss induces a potent antidepressant effect and rewires the brain,” said Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy,” the study’s corresponding author. “This is an important reminder of how our casual activities, such as a sleepless night, can fundamentally alter the brain in as little as a few hours.”
The study revealed that sleep deprivation temporarily increases sexual arousal and aggression, but the most surprising discovery was the long-lasting antidepressant effect.
“Chronic sleep deprivation can temporarily boost your mood,” said Dr. Fahmi Farah. “Just because of the hormone dopamine that’s released in an increased amount.”
This mood boost was linked to a surge in the feel-good hormone dopamine; however, many doctors believe that the long-term effects outweigh the short-term benefits.
“A lot of that has to do with the interruption of our circadian rhythm,” said Dr. Thomas Boyden Jr. “That’s kind of that natural 24-hour clock we have always running in the background, because of our interruption of sleep causes increased stress which increases stress hormones. That can increase blood pressure and some are more vulnerable to problems brought on by the change than others.”
Researchers conducted experiments on mice, depriving them of sleep to observe the impact on their behavior and brains. Notably, sleep-deprived mice exhibited increased activity and showed more sexual behaviors. Additionally, their brains also had a higher level of dopamine, which is associated with feelings of pleasure and happiness.
“If you’re chronically sleep-deprived, it’ll almost give you the impact as if you’re a little bit drunk. So those happy feelings kind of come for a temporary period of time, but for health purposes, it is definitely advisable to get adequate sleep,” Farah said.
While the study suggests that brief sleep loss can have an antidepressant effect, it’s essential to note that the benefits are transient and not advisable over an extended period.
