Researchers in Israel have recently found that fatigue undermines the ability to handle your emotions, and keep your feelings in check.  In other words, being tired can really make you act differently than you would if you had received a sufficient amount of sleep.  In the study, scientists hooked study subjects up to brain scanners and found that participants who were well rested were better able to access the parts of the brain that deal with emotions.  Study subjects who were sleep deprived, were less able to keep those emotions in check.  The lack of sleep reduced the brains threshold for emotional reactions.

A quick search on the trusty WebMD website revealed more about sleep deprivation and its effects on the mind.  According to the webmd.com, being sleep deprived can negatively impact a person’s judgement and mood.  A sleep deprived brain can quickly cause an adult to unravel emotionally.  There’s a reason why toddlers become agitated or cranky when they tire.  The emotional impact of sleep deprivation can similarly manifest itself in adults as well.  Sleep deprivation can prohibit adults from thinking clearly.  Work production can decrease, while emotional instability elevates.  As the recent study revealed, getting less than six hours of sleep each night can prevent a person from keeping their emotions at an even keel.

In a nutshell, missing out on sleep can cause people to overreact, and perhaps underreact as well, to life’s routine challenges.  The research is out, and it even suggests a more than substantial connection between sleep deprivation and anxiety disorders.  And once you get behind on your sleep, it’s hard to right the wrong.  In fact, according to WebMD, if a person gets less than six hours of sleep each night for one week, it is impossible to make up the deficit with just a few hours of extra sleep during the weekend.  So much for my plan for sleeping in this weekend.  The bottom line is, do your best to get your sleep.  Your family, friends, and coworkers will thank you.