When I am woken up from a nap suddenly by a loud noise, these days caused by my kitties, I get EXTREMELY cranky. I am generally fairly mild-mannered, but oh, you don't want to be around me at these times. Or at night, when the kitties wake us up 5 times in 1 hour, I get to a point where I want to shake them and shake them and shake them. (This is compared to my typical interactions with the kitties involving too much hugging and kissing and petting.)
So, when my co-worker showed me a paper from the October 23rd, 2007 issue of Current Biology, this all made sense. According to Yoo et al., when people are sleep-deprived, the prefrontal cortex and amygdala suffer a disconnect. This causes a more dramatic response to negative stimuli. Apparently, adequate sleep is required for the prefrontal cortex to mediate emotional reactions by the amygdala.
Well, for those sleep-deprived people, this makes perfect sense. It accounts for all of those sleepless nights when you lie awake and worry and fret and get all worked-up over the most insignificant things that seem so daunting at 3 am. And why the smallest things make you lose your temper after a sleepless night. And why tears come so frequently and easily over silly things like making a bad batch of cookies after a week of stress and little sleep.
I should keep this article by my bed at night to reread at 4:30 am. Right now, my three little kitty-girls are all nestled around me sound asleep. And, oh, I love them so. But in the middle of the night when they want foodies and bang the mirror, it will be a different story.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I know the feeling. Fortunately, I never want to shake Atlas, but on those rare nights where he's feeling poorly and paces and paces and paces, but if I take him outside, he just eats grass and does nothing - and I am not willing to stand out in the cold in the middle of the night while my puppy eats grass for hours (though I have done so in a pinch) - so when we come back in he paces and paces and paces, and I am tired and sleep-deprived and worried, I have been known to succumb to madness and pound the bed and give a loud "Waaaaaah". Which oddly enough, makes me feel better.
I hope the kitties let you sleep.
Have the kitties been doing any better this week?
I think I've gotten a little over-emotional on a couple of occasions when over tired. I just thought it was how I reacted when I was tired and exhausted from a lot of activity in the day. Good to know; I shall have to pass this info on to Shaun so he doesn't think I'm crazy.
They have... they're back to wanting food once per night, only. I think they're starting their winter hibernation sleep schedule.
That article hits home, Amy, and it makes sense. I get SO cranky when sleep deprived. My poor kiddos - I never want to shake them, but boy do I lose my patience with them when I have not had enough sleep.
I especially remember that oh-so-well from about 4-5 weeks after Olivia was born. Even now, too, after I've worked a night shift and don't have the opportunity to sleep when I get home. I am glad to say, though, that I've learned to deal better with no sleep, and just try to coast through the day. Thank goodness for java...
(Seriously?! How did I not know about your blog? Now I have 3 places to keep in touch with you!)
Hi Cyndi,
I kept my blog under wraps for a while until I had made sure that I liked my format and would stick to it. Libby kept asking what happened to my other blog because I would start it and then delete it. This one will be around for a while, I think.
Yes... thank goodness for coffee. It works wonders. I am especially loving Starbucks' peppermint mocha these days.
Mmmmmm.... Peppermint Mochas are my favorite right now. Dunn Bros. has a really good one, as well. I just had Caribou's version on Saturday, and that was also tasty. When I can't get to those places I keep Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha creamer stocked. It's a good back up, but not quite like the coffee shop. :)
I should have done what you did, and kept my blog underwraps at first. Instead, I opened, closed... opened...closed. It's good to keep people guessing. Or something.
Post a Comment