Archive · 2 Feb 2026
Sleep Deprivation Damages Brain Functioning
A new study shows that not getting enough sleep can hurt your brain.
It damages the protective layer around brain cells, called myelin, which helps them talk to each other quickly.
When this layer gets thin, your brain works slower, and you might have trouble remembering things or thinking clearly.
The study found this in both people and rats.
It's important because many people don't get enough sleep, and this can affect how well they learn, work, and stay safe.
Sleep helps keep your brain healthy by fixing this protective layer every night.
Sleep deprivation damages myelin, the protective layer around brain cells, slowing neural communication.
The study found that sleep-deprived rats had thinner myelin sheaths and slower electrical signals.
Human participants with poor sleep quality showed reduced integrity in white matter structures.
Sleep loss disrupts cholesterol handling in oligodendrocytes, affecting myelin maintenance.
Chronic sleep deprivation may impair cognitive function, workplace safety, and long-term brain health.
- Who
- Researchers at the University of Camerino in Italy
- What
- Sleep deprivation damages myelin, slowing brain signals and affecting cognitive function
- When
- Study published in January 2026
- Where
- Research conducted at the University of Camerino, Italy, with human and animal participants
- Why
- To understand the impact of sleep deprivation on brain function and myelin integrity
- Study Published
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), January 2026
- Participants
- 185 healthy human volunteers
- Animal Experiment Duration
- 10 days
- Signal Slowdown in Rats
- Approximately one-third
- Key Cells Affected
- Oligodendrocytes
- Maintenance Issue
- Cholesterol handling
- Public Health Concern
- Increasing prevalence of sleep deprivation