Sleep problems affect a large part of the population, from tired teens staying up too late on their phones to older adults struggling with long-term insomnia.
Around 20% to 35% of people suffer from chronic sleep disorders, and in older adults, this number can be even higher.
Almost everyone, at some point, has experienced short-term sleep deprivation—whether from work stress, social events, caregiving duties, or simply scrolling through social media late into the night.
A recent large-scale analysis led by researchers at the Jülich Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine in Germany has shed light on how short-term and chronic sleep problems affect different areas of the brain.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, analyzed brain data from 231 separate studies and found that the brain regions affected by short-term sleep loss and long-term sleep disorders are not the same.
This discovery is important because poor sleep is already known to increase the risk of mental health issues, especially in teens and older adults. However, it hasn’t been clear whether occasional sleepless nights and chronic sleep problems affect the brain in the same way. Now, researchers have evidence that they do not.
According to Dr. Masoud Tahmasian, who led the study, short-term sleep deprivation and chronic conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea, or narcolepsy are linked to changes in completely different parts of the brain. Understanding these differences could help improve future research, therapy, and prevention.
The researchers found that people with chronic sleep disorders showed changes in areas like the anterior cingulate cortex, the right amygdala, and the hippocampus.
These parts of the brain are involved in controlling emotions, memory, decision-making, and how we experience the world. These changes match what many people with long-term sleep problems report: memory issues, mood swings, depression, and difficulty coping with everyday stress.
In contrast, short-term sleep loss—such as staying up late for one or two nights—was linked to changes in the thalamus. This region helps regulate body temperature, controls movement, and processes pain. These findings make sense, as people who don’t sleep well for a night or two often feel clumsier, more sensitive to cold, and mentally sluggish the next day.
Gerion Reimann, a lead author of the study, noted that although both types of sleep problems can leave people feeling tired and unfocused, the brain is affected in different ways depending on whether the sleep issues are temporary or long-term.
He also pointed out that repeated sleep loss can have serious effects on brain development, emotional control, memory, and overall performance in school or work.
One of the key findings of this research is that there is no overlap in the brain areas affected by short-term and chronic sleep loss. This means scientists can now focus more specifically on the exact brain networks and structures involved in each type.
It also opens the door to what researchers call “transdiagnostic” studies, where multiple disorders or symptoms can be studied together for a more complete picture.
The researchers believe this work can eventually lead to better and more personalized treatment options. For example, some people may respond better to non-drug approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy or CPAP machines, while others may benefit more from medications. Knowing which brain areas are involved can help guide these decisions.
Sleep disorders aren’t just about feeling tired—they’re tied to many serious health issues, including anxiety, depression, and dementia. With these new insights, there’s hope that sleep research can better explain how poor sleep leads to these conditions and how targeted treatment might prevent them in the future.
In short, not all sleep problems are the same, and neither are their effects on the brain. This study helps us understand those differences and offers new direction for improving brain health through better sleep.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Psychiatry.
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