TDNet Discover

Background: Sleep is an essential component for overall health. However, many adults experience total sleep deprivation, defined as the absence of sleep during a normal rest period, due to demanding lifestyles. While it is well established that sleep supports cognitive function, the specific effects of sleep deprivation on learning and memory have been inconsistently reported across studies. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of total sleep deprivation on cognitive functions, including learning and memory, in healthy adults, and to explore proposed neural mechanisms that may help explain these effects. Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed studies from the past 10 years was conducted. The search was completed between December 2024 and February 2025 and followed preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria. All identified articles were screened for relevance and assessed for quality using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Quality Assessment Tool. A standardized data extraction process was used to gather relevant findings. Five final articles were selected for analysis. Results: The studies demonstrated that total sleep deprivation significantly impairs cognitive function in healthy adults. Sleep loss after learning disrupts memory consolidation, especially procedural memory. Deprivation before learning impaired memory encoding and reduced semantic processing. Neural changes in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and beta activity support these deficits. Conclusion: Total sleep deprivation negatively affects memory and learning in healthy adults, with evidence pointing to disrupted neural mechanisms. Clinical, public health, and academic efforts should emphasize sleep education and include routine screening of sleep habits. iv Future research should explore long-term consequences and strategies to mitigate cognitive decline associated with sleep loss.