Sleep loss can lead to memory lapses

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Most of us face problems in getting a sound sleep due to several factors like work pressure, family responsibilities, relationship issues, etc. A new study suggests that people who don't get enough sleep may face memory lapses.

Sleep deprivation can also lead to other severe diseases like obesity, cardiovascular diseases and also affect your immune system.

To understand this, researchers from Michigan State University and University of California, Irvine, conducted experiments to gauge the effect of insufficient sleep on memory.

They found that participants who were kept awake for 24 hours - and even those who got five or fewer hours of sleep - were more likely to mix up event details than participants who were well rested.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called insufficient sleep an epidemic and said it was linked to vehicle crashes, industrial disasters and chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

The study is published online in the journal Psychological Science.

(With Agencies inputs)