"The Connection Between Sleep and Cognitive Performance: Exploring the Science"

Lack of sleep can affect concentration the next day and impair attention, memory, and learning processes. During wakefulness, connections between neurons in the brain are strengthened or weakened, which is known as neuroplasticity. During sleep, relevant connections are further strengthened and irrelevant ones are weakened.

However, in the case of sleep deprivation, the weakening of irrelevant connections does not take place, and cortical excitability remains increased, which impairs signal transmission. This results in poor processing of new external stimuli and information, making learning more difficult.

However, in the case of sleep deprivation, the weakening of irrelevant connections does not take place, and cortical excitability remains increased, which impairs signal transmission. This results in poor processing of new external stimuli and information, making learning more difficult.

Furthermore, increased cortical excitability disturbs neuroplasticity, making it more difficult for the neurons to shape connections. Optimal brain excitability could potentially prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's and major depression, which are often accompanied by sleep disturbances, reduced brain activity, and neuroplasticity.

It is critical to distinguish between total sleep deprivation and working against personal sleep and waking periods (chronotype) where brain excitability and neuroplasticity are reduced during suboptimal times of the day. In demanding activities, working by one's chronotype can improve work performance.

Research suggests that sleep strongly affects synaptic strength, which is critical for cognition, particularly for learning and memory formation. However, the exact mechanisms of how sleep deprivation modulates human brain physiology and cognition are not yet fully understood

Sleep deprivation has long been known to have a significant impact on cognitive performance, especially working memory. However, recent research conducted at the Leibniz Research Center for Work Environment and Human Factors has shed light on exactly how sleep deprivation affects brain performance, revealing that not only brain activation but also the connection between neurons is altered.

Sufficient sleep is essential for optimal daytime performance. Without enough rest, attention, memory, and learning processes can all become impaired. During wakefulness, connections between neurons in the brain are strengthened or weakened in a process called neuroplasticity. During sleep, relevant connections are further strengthened and irrelevant ones are weakened, which helps to improve cognitive performance.

However, when a person experiences sleep deprivation, the brain's neuroplasticity is disturbed. The weakening of irrelevant connections does not take place, and cortical excitability remains increased. This heightened excitability impairs signal transmission, making it difficult for the brain to process new external stimuli and information. Learning, therefore, becomes more challenging.

The increased cortical excitability also has an impact on the ability of neurons to form new connections. Optimal brain excitability is critical for cognitive performance and can potentially prevent cognitive deficits that lead to diseases such as Alzheimer's and major depression, both of which are often accompanied by sleep disturbances, reduced brain activity, and neuroplasticity.

It is critical to understand the distinction between full sleep deprivation and working against personal sleep and waking periods (chronotype). During suboptimal times of the day, brain excitability and neuroplasticity are reduced when a person works against their chronotype. However, in demanding activities, working by one's chronotype can improve work performance.

Research indicates that sleep strongly affects synaptic strength, which is critical for cognition, particularly for learning and memory formation. However, the exact mechanisms of how sleep deprivation modulates human brain physiology and cognition are not yet fully understood.

To better understand the relationship between sleep and cognitive performance, the researchers examined how overnight sleep deprivation versus overnight sufficient sleep affects cortical excitability, measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation. They also looked at the inducibility of long-term potentiation (LTP)- and long-term depression (LTD)-like plasticity via transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and assessed learning memory, and attention.

The findings show that sleep loss increases cortical excitability through increased glutamate-related cortical facilitation and decreases or reverses GABAergic cortical inhibition. In other words, the brain becomes more active but less efficient, leading to reduced cognitive performance