Endocrine affects on sleep deprivation
Breonna Mosely
7/17/2014
Dr. Ganser
Endocrine system effects on Sleep Deprivation
Deprived sleep is a universal widespread problem observed in both children and adults. Sleep is a vital process that helps in the functioning of learning, memory processing, cellular repair, and brain development. Statistics show that the average total hours of sleep have decreased per person to less than 7 hours per night over the past 3 to 4 decades. Many people experience sleep loss due pressures at work, stress, and our day to day lifestyle. The reduced hours of nocturnal sleep have shown to lead to serious health problems such as depression, obesity, hypertension, along with many other diseases. It also affects cognitive performance and emotionality.
The Endocrine system is responsible for the body’s stress systems and the release of the stress hormones necessary for adaptation and survival in the environment. Sleep deprivation are associated with increases in the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal axis, autonomic sympathetic activation and increased catecholamine levels during wakefulness. This increased sympathetic level causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Briefly waking up from sleep for only a few seconds is associated with autonomic reflex, causing a temporary rise in heart rate and BP to the level seen while awake. Increased sympathetic activation is more related to disruption and discontinuity of sleep than to the duration of sleep deprivation or the amount of sleep that is lost. HPA is the other stressful stimulus that induces the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus. CRH stimulates the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone from the pituitary, and ACTH initiates the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex. Increased levels of glucocorticoids reduce neuronal plasticity increasing mood sensitivity and cortisol release. High cortisol levels are found in patients with chronic insomnia, which have an increased
7/17/2014
Dr. Ganser
Endocrine system effects on Sleep Deprivation
Deprived sleep is a universal widespread problem observed in both children and adults. Sleep is a vital process that helps in the functioning of learning, memory processing, cellular repair, and brain development. Statistics show that the average total hours of sleep have decreased per person to less than 7 hours per night over the past 3 to 4 decades. Many people experience sleep loss due pressures at work, stress, and our day to day lifestyle. The reduced hours of nocturnal sleep have shown to lead to serious health problems such as depression, obesity, hypertension, along with many other diseases. It also affects cognitive performance and emotionality.
The Endocrine system is responsible for the body’s stress systems and the release of the stress hormones necessary for adaptation and survival in the environment. Sleep deprivation are associated with increases in the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal axis, autonomic sympathetic activation and increased catecholamine levels during wakefulness. This increased sympathetic level causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Briefly waking up from sleep for only a few seconds is associated with autonomic reflex, causing a temporary rise in heart rate and BP to the level seen while awake. Increased sympathetic activation is more related to disruption and discontinuity of sleep than to the duration of sleep deprivation or the amount of sleep that is lost. HPA is the other stressful stimulus that induces the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus. CRH stimulates the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone from the pituitary, and ACTH initiates the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex. Increased levels of glucocorticoids reduce neuronal plasticity increasing mood sensitivity and cortisol release. High cortisol levels are found in patients with chronic insomnia, which have an increased