do we get dumber if we get less and less sleep?

Question

This christmas break i've been sleeping late, really late. the first night i slept around 3 in the morning. night after night i've been later than the night before. the latest time i went to sleep is around 8 in the morning. and when i wake up, i feel tired. and throughout the day i can't do things right, which made me think that i'm getting dumber.

Answer 1

Yes it can. Although you aren't really getting dumber. It's the effects of sleep deprivation. There's been lot's of research on the subject. Here's some info to get you started.
Sleep deprived test subjects have difficulties thinking of imaginative words or ideas. Instead, they tend to choose repetitious words or clichéd phrases. Also, a sleep-deprived individual is less able to deliver a statement well. The subject may show signs of slurred speech, stuttering, speaking in a monotone voice, or speaking at a slower pace than usual (6). Subjects in research studies also have a more difficult time reacting well to unpredicted rapid changes. Sleep deprived people do not have the speed or creative abilities to cope with making quick but logical decisions, nor do they have the ability to implement them well. Studies have demonstrated that a lack of sleep impairs one's ability to simultaneously focus on several different related tasks, reducing the speed as well as the efficiency of one's actions (8). A person may be able to react to a complex scenario when suddenly presented with it but, similar to the verbal tests, the subject will most likely pick an unoriginal solution. If presented with a similar situation multiple times with slight variations in the information presented the subject chooses the same solution, even though it might not be as applicable to the new senario (9).

Part of the frontal lobe, the prefrontal cortex, has several functions specifically coupled with it. Judgment, impulse control, attention, and visual association have all been related to this region of the cerebral cortex (8). A recent study has shown that the prefrontal cortex, usually the most active area of the brain in rested individuals, becomes more active as a person remains awake for long periods of time (3), (4). This region regenerates during the first stage of sleep, giving a person the ability to feel somewhat refreshed after only a short nap (5). The length of the first stage of sleep cycle is somewhat dependant upon how long the person had previously been awake. The longer the period of wakefulness, the longer the brain remains in the first stage of sleep. When the brain enters into the REM stage of sleep the prefrontal cortex is active once more.

The implications of this data seem to be fairly important in supporting the location of the I-function within the brain. The prefrontal cortex is active whenever a person is awake, no matter how little sleep they have had. Also, this area is active while dreaming. Since the individual is aware of him or herself during both of these instances, but is not aware during the stages of sleep when the prefrontal cortex is shut down, it seems logical that the I-function is located within this region. This indicates that the I-function is what is resting and regenerating during the first stage of sleep. It would be interesting to study prefrontal cortex activity while a person is conscious, but unaware of his or her actions, due to an influence such as drugs or alcohol. According to the results of the sleep deprivation studies little or no activity should be seen in the prefrontal cortex at anytime when the individual is unaware of his or herself.

One of the symptoms of prolonged sleep deprivation is hallucinations (10). This could also be related to the I-function since it is the system that integrates the input from all other areas of the brain. If the neurons composing the I-function become too taxed then the picture in the head that the I-function produces may be more dissimilar from reality than usual. The neurons, under pressure to continue functioning but unable to perform optimally, create an image useful enough for a person to see most of his or her surroundings. Metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex can drop as much as eleven percent after a person has missed sleep for only twenty four hours (8). As a person loses more sleep or continues to receive less-than-adequate amounts of sleep the neurons become even more taxed and the I-function may begin to generate even less coherent images possibly resulting in temporary insanity.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web3/Ledoux.html

And here is a wiki link too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_deprivation

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=GGIH,GGIH:2006-46,GGIH:en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=sleep+deprivation&spell=1

Answer 2

Your performance can be impaired. They did a study where the kids who got less sleep were more likely to fail. You can also die if you don't sleep at all, but that's over a lolng period of time. Your concentration will decrease, you may lost appetite, and it's possible that you are physically fatigued easier and more frequently.

Answer 3

Lack of sleep doesn't make you "dumber" per se but it does impair your mental functions. Slower mental capabilities and problems converting short term memory are both some of the first symptoms of sleep deprivation. Even if you're getting enough hours of sleep you can still be suffering from REM deprivation. I personally can't get to or stay in REM sleep to save my life.

Answer 4

Let me put it this way.
Brains are kind of like rechargable batteries, if they don't get recharged or don't get recharged enough they wont work properly.
Your body needs atleast 8 hours sleep to function properly and if you get to much less than that you wont beable to do things as easilly as you normally would.
So try and get a good nights sleep and you will feel heaps better when you wake up.

Answer 5

You are not getting "dumber". You brain needs to rejuventate, that is why humans sleep. After a very good rest you should be back to normal.

Answer 6

You are worn out ! Your body is confused with this new 'schedule ' of yours.
If you do not get enough sleep, your though processes tend to become slower, as also you will be phycially tired along with mentally tired.
You are just, let's call it mentally pooped.

Answer 7

No but your ability to react and focus can be affected by lack of sleep among many other things such as blood pressure,stress to name a couple.

Answer 8

i think so cuz if ur not asleep u dont consentrate right n u start 2 think about sleep thats y b4 u take test teachers say "dont 4 get 2 get some sleep"

Answer 9

Sleep deprivation affects our entire body, including the brain in reacting or acting properly.

Answer 10

Yes,we need so much REM(rapid eye movement) sleep to function.Lack of it will cause symptoms like you describe.We lose the ability to concentrate and focus which makes us"dumb" as you call it.