I have only 4-5hours sleep in a day, would this have any effect on my brain?
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I have only 4-5hours sleep in a day, would this have any effect on my brain?
Long-term sleep deprivation is usually accompanied by other forms of stress, and that tends to cause a variety of problems. Chronic stress causes chronically elevated cortisol, and that in turn causes the hippocampus in the brain to shrink. That can ultimately lead to depression and contribute to PTSD. However, this is more a harmful reshaping of the brain, it is not stark brain damage. Having a stroke causes brain damage. Hitting your head during a car accident can cause brain damage. Chronic alcoholism causes brain damage. Long-term sleep deprivation causes indirect brain harm. It absolutely will not paralyze your left hand, or erase your memories of the past 10 years, or give you epilepsy.
I’m not a doctor but my understanding is that sleep deprivation has a negative impact on normal brain function, but it’s not permanent if normal sleep is restored. I at one point many years ago now experienced sleep deprivation by skipping two full nights of sleep, and by the evening of the third day I began hallucinating. When I finally did go to bed that night I slept for about 14hours straight, without moving. I don’t think I suffered from any permanent brain damage but I never want to have to do that again.