The damage caused by insomnia to the brain is similar to the effects produced by head trauma, which causes a dramatic increase in chemicals in the brain related to brain damage. According to foreign media reports on January 2, you have not had such a feeling: a good night’s sleep, the next day up to feel as if the head was hit by something. Scientists say this is not alarming. A new study shows that as long as a night without sleep, your brain will change, the impact and head hit by a heavy object as well. The scientists said the healthy young people examined in the study showed signs of a dramatic increase in the same chemicals in their bodies. These chemicals indicate brain damage. The chemicals – neurogen-specific enolase (NSE) and S-100 protein – are biomarkers of brain damage such as concussions, said Christian Benedetti, a professor at Uppsala University in Sweden. The scientist noted, “We found that the levels of these chemicals were significantly higher in the blood in the study group that did not sleep overnight. While this result did not reach the effects caused by head trauma, it was still very significant. When you sleep, the brain purges itself of toxic substances. The increase in neuronal-specific enolase and S-100 protein is a response to these substances.” Benedetti said, “Previous studies have shown that the brain uses sleep to purify itself. These findings of ours support that idea. Previous studies have also shown that sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Our study may support this result. Elevated levels of neurogen-specific enolase and S-100 protein in the blood after insomnia may indicate that not getting enough sleep drives the loss of brain tissue.” The study was published in the journal Sleep. Benedetti said, “The results of our trial suggest that getting a good night’s sleep is essential to keep the brain healthy.” The data show that one-third of Britons experience sleep-related problems. Compared to decades ago when they slept nearly nine hours a night, the average person now sleeps only seven hours at night. Many scientists believe that irregular sleep patterns make people suffer from a variety of diseases from physical pain to heart disease. At the same time, sleeping less than 8 hours at night may reduce the next day’s IQ.