When you’re so tired and you haven’t slept a wink, your mind goes on the blink. That’s more than just a play on a quaint batch of Beatles lyrics. It’s the truth.
The sleep-starved mind is a mind on the blink, a groggy, impaired ball of mush.
Being tired -- really, really tired -- is a lot like being wasted. You’re more likely to slur when you speak, make risky decisions, forget what you did and generally act, well, a bit like an idiot. Worse, driving tired is as dangerous as driving drunk, several studies -- and, yes, even the meticulous Mythbusters -- confirm.
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It’s simple, yet so few of us listen, this zombie mommy included. Bottom line: Sleepy equals bad for your brain. Well-rested equals good. Not getting enough shut-eye isn’t just harmful to you, it could lead to you accidentally harming others, too. By now none of this should come as a surprise, so why aren’t you logging at least six to eight restorative, absolutely critical hours between the sheets every night?
Your wakeup call is now. Take a look at the sobering infographic about the ill effects of sleep deprivation by General Electric and Mic below, then see if you’re still up for an all-nighter. We’re not.
This is how you warp your brain when you don’t get enough sleep:
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