A recent study shows the effects of insufficient sleep on an important antioxidant. The body’s immune system is incredibly complex and fascinating. Molecules known as free radicals are produced in our bodies and can enter from the environment via many sources, including ultraviolet radiation, toxic chemicals, and polluted air. They have both positive and negative effects. On the positive side, they attack pathogens and help fight infections. But overproduction can create oxidative stress that damages cells and can cause disease. Antioxidants are molecules that keep free radicals in check and are found in vitamins A, C, and E. Our bodies also produce antioxidants, including glutathione, which is produced in the liver and is the most prevalent antioxidant in the brain. Sleep loss is studied through sleep deprivation studies. Participants volunteer to go without sleep for a predetermined time, and the effects are measured with various kinds of testing. Through this kind of research, we have learned that insufficient sleep has many negative effects in multiple domains. Our attention, concentration, and problem-solving are diminished. We become more irritable, stressed, and anxious. We may gain weight due to the disruption of leptin, which signals fullness after eating, and ghrelin, which influences appetite. The effectiveness of our immune system is lowered to make us more prone to illness. Sleep deprivation studies are largely done with adults and only in limited situations for short periods of time with children and adolescents. Studies of sleep with younger people mostly look at naturally occurring sleep loss, comparing outcomes between those who sleep well and those whose sleep is poor. Researchers relied on the concept of social jet lag to estimate sleep loss. Social jet lag is a circadian misalignment that occurs when insufficient sleep during the school week or workweek is made up for by sleeping more on weekends. One metaphor is that one is paying off a sleep debt accrued over the previous days. The greater the difference between weekend and weekday sleep, the greater the social jet lag and sleep debt.
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