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A lack of sleep can make you irritable, undermine brain function, and put you at greater risk of injury.

Some of the most innovative minds of recent generations pride themselves on being awake at all hours. Elon Musk works until 1am before starting his next day at 7am. Richard Branson functions on five to six hours sleep a night.  

However, evidence has emerged showing what sleep deprivation can do to your brain and body. Science is telling us more about how adequate sleep can help you retain more information, maintain a healthy body weight, and keep your brain at optimum functioning capacity. 

The physical effects of under-sleeping

We all know the feeling when we haven’t had enough sleep: brain fog, moodiness, and inability to concentrate. The physical effects of a lack of sleep have been confirmed by various studies. A comprehensive study on sleep deprivation published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment in 2007 showed people who experienced sleep loss suffered a noticeable decline in cognitive performance and unpredictable changes in mood.

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