7 Ways Sleep Affects The Brain (And What Happens If It Doesn't Get Enough)

The RAND research group just came out with a 100-page analysis of how sleep affects us and what sleep deprivation can do to us—and to the economy. They estimate that between lost work and poor performance at work from lack of sleep, the U.S. alone loses $411 billion each year. Though businesses and policy makers may be interested in the financial repercussions of sleep deprivation, these repercussions stem from people being unwell because of it, which underlines the very real consequences of sleep deprivation.

Recent research has laid out some of the reasons why we need sleep, and all the functions the brain seems to perform while we’re sleeping. There's more to figure out, but here are a few reasons why the brain needs sleep, and why things tend to go downhill without it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2016/12/09/7-ways-sleep-affects-the-brain-and-what-happens-if-it-doesnt-get-enough/#13b620694e19