The Rock & Roll Shrink Radio Show Ep. 77 Behind the Wall of Sleep (Deprivation)

It is safe to say that just about everyone has, at one time or another, had occasional bouts of sleeplessness, insomnia, and other common disruptions, but most people do not struggle with these for more than a few nights, and even fewer in the long term.

Numerous studies of the psychological effects of sleep deprivation have discovered a couple of interesting points:

1. Sleep deprivation can be either or both a cause and a symptom of numerous mental illness conditions.

2. The sources of the physiological and psychological effects of sleep deprivation are linked to the pineal gland, and disruption of its production of either or both serotonin and dopamine, both of which are necessary to produce the hormone melatonin, needed for restful sleep.

Restful, healing sleep is critical to our sense of alertness, physical and mental healing, memory retention, learning, focus, healthy executive function, emotional regulation, and sense of well-being. Many people are dismissive of its necessity, because the damage a deficit causes can take a while to become obvious or debilitating, and we are an instant-gratification and information culture.

Tonight, we will discuss:

1. Sleep deprivation from a physiological perspective (focusing on how those aspects tie into mental health)
2. Sleep deprivation effects in the short and long term from a mental health perspective
3. Related pathologies and symptoms
4. Resources and suggestions for sufferers

We'll start off the evening with some topic-relevant Classic Rock played by Dr. Mathis, followed by Classic Rock trivia in "The Rock & Roll Shrink Recalls," followed by our topic discussion.