Because you’re doing long-term damage to your brain?
Now, it’s possible that you’re not, and the brain can heal itself, but that’s why I try and get enough sleep. It disturbs me to think that the impossibly complex biomechanical machine in my head is slogging through excess waste products to try and crank out acceptable performance.
Most of these studies tend to be focused on temporary effects, including this one. Most of that "damage" can be undone with a good nights sleep.
But even if some amount is permanent, so what? Does my brain need to be in mint condition? If the cost of getting more enjoyment out of life is a little brain damage, so be it. I hold no ego about my brain being perfect. Performance is only one aspect of life and not one I strive to prioritize significantly over enjoyment.
I was referring to evidence that chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias by allowing the brain less time to flush out amyloid proteins that can aggregate.
...But everyone’s brain is different, and if you don’t feel your enjoyment of life is being affected, then it’s entirely possible your brain is getting all its maintenance needs met in the time you sleep.
I didn’t mean to sound moralizing or judgmental— these decisions are of course entirely ours to make for ourselves.
My personal experience is that long term sleep deprivation took me several months of recovery to even approach the mental capacity I had previously. Having kids really fucked up my sleep schedule, and I was not getting enough rem cycles for about 2 years. It wasn't until my first was sleeping through the night consistently that I began to recover.
Now, it’s possible that you’re not, and the brain can heal itself, but that’s why I try and get enough sleep. It disturbs me to think that the impossibly complex biomechanical machine in my head is slogging through excess waste products to try and crank out acceptable performance.