Sleep-deprived? Your brain might be eating itself. 🧠
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed a shocking truth: When you’re severely sleep-deprived, your brain’s cleanup crew—astrocytes—go into overdrive.
What does that mean? 🧠 Instead of just removing damaged neural connections… They start breaking down healthy ones, too.
Even worse: Microglial cells—the brain’s immune defense—become hyperactive, mimicking the early brain inflammation seen in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Chronic sleep loss = long-term brain damage in the making.
This isn’t just about feeling tired. It’s about protecting the connections that make you you.
Prioritize 7–9 hours of sleep—not just for energy, but for brain survival.
Study: Bellesi et al., J Neurosci, 2017