Khaberni - There is no doubt that many studies have discussed the harms of staying up late and its effects on human health, but a new study has identified dangerous outcomes that must be taken into consideration.
Neuroscientists have warned that the human brain does not function normally after midnight, affirming that staying awake during those dark hours not only exhausts the body but also affects the way of thinking, emotions, and behavior, and increases the likelihood of making dangerous or harmful decisions.
According to a report published by the scientific website ScienceAlert, researchers from "Harvard University" and several other scientific institutions have presented what they called the "Mind After Midnight" hypothesis, which suggests that humans were made to wake during the day and sleep at night, and that staying up long after midnight leads the brain to tend toward negativity and risk.
Sleep deprivation... alters brain chemistry
The study explained that the body's circadian rhythm (biological clock) regulates the state of wakefulness and sleep over a 24-hour period, and directly affects mood and behavior
It also revealed that during daylight hours, the brain is prepared for focus, productivity, and positive interaction, while at night, energy levels decrease and the neural activity responsible for regulating emotions declines, making a person more prone to negative thinking and reckless decisions.
In turn, researcher Elizabeth Clareman, a professor of neuroscience at "Harvard University", said that there are millions of people around the world who wake up in the middle of the night, and we have increasing evidence that their brains do not operate with the same efficiency as during the day, and this could endanger their health and safety."
From risks to suicide
The research also clarified that staying up late is directly linked to increased risky behaviors, such as excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs, making unconsidered decisions, and even increased chances of suicide.
According to data from several studies, the risk of suicide is three times higher between midnight and six in the morning compared to any other time of the day.
Also, the "Mind After Midnight" hypothesis indicates that the brain in those hours becomes overly sensitive to negative stimuli, and reinterprets events and emotions in a more pessimistic way, especially with the accumulation of sleep deprivation.
Furthermore, researchers provided two real-world examples to illustrate the matter, the first of a drug addict who succeeds in resisting his desires during the day, but succumbs to them at night, and the second of a college student suffering from insomnia, who feels despair and isolation at night, which might lead him to consider self-harm behavior
Science explains nighttime behavior
Scientists, from an evolutionary perspective, saw that these behavioral changes were beneficial to ancient humans; as heightened alertness at night was a way to be cautious of predatory animals.
But in the modern era, where darkness no longer threatens human life, this mechanism is reflected negatively on mental health, increasing anxiety, depression, and decision-making disturbance.
In addition, research from Brazil indicates that the chance of taking an overdose of drugs is five times higher during the night compared to daytime, supporting the hypothesis that prolonged wakefulness weakens brain functions responsible for assessing risks and rewards.
Call for more research
It is noted that despite scientific advancements in studying sleep, researchers say we still know little about how the brain works during the nighttime hours, especially for those who are forced to work night shifts such as doctors and pilots.
Similarly, the "Harvard University" team emphasized the urgent need to study how the lack of sleep and disruption of the circadian clock in reward circuits in the brain, aiming to protect the most vulnerable groups, such as adolescents and night workers, Clareman concluded: "Every night, there are at least six hours in which we don't fully understand how the human mind thinks... and Mind After Midnight remains a mystery."
