Biomarkers of Sleep Loss
Abstract
It is well known that quality sleep is integral for good health. Most of us have experienced the common consequences of only one night of poor sleep: tiredness, poor concentration, mental fog, and mood swings. But what happens when people sleep poorly for years and even decades? Studies have shown that poor sleepers tend to have higher risk for numerous serious illnesses such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart attack, stroke, and even some types of cancer. These findings are even more alarming when considering that approximately one-third of the adult U.S. population regularly experiences sleep disturbances. Military Service Members have an even higher rate of sleep problems, which continue even after returning home due to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). So why is chronic poor sleep so detrimental for health? We normally associate sleep with the brain, and it makes sense that not sleeping results in mental fog. But why would other parts of the body be affected by poor sleep? We think the cause might lie in an unexpected place – the gut. We recently discovered that sleep loss specifically causes cellular damage in the gut (and not in other organs) that directly and considerably reduces lifespan of sleep-deprived animals. On the other hand, animals can have a normal lifespan, even when sleep deprived, if this damage is prevented. Based on this, we think that humans might experience a similar phenomenon, which might lead to increased risk for many cardiovascular, neurological, and other disorders. In this grant proposal, we describe steps we are taking to understand the connection between poor sleep and gastrointestinal health, colon cancer, as well as how gut damage may be associated with cognitive issues. We want to find noninvasive methods to detect biomarkers for gut damage to timely diagnose it and treat it before sleep loss leads to health decline. To our knowledge, no such approach has been described before. Our ultimate goal is to develop therapies that can offset the negative consequences of inadequate sleep. Considering that no such therapies currently exist, and considering how great the need for them is, we think that this work has the potential to be transformative.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310447
Entities
People
- Dragana Rogulja
Organizations
- Harvard University
- United States Army