Lack of sleep disrupts the areas of the brain that prevent unwanted memories from occurring

The link between poor sleep and mental health problems may be due to abnormalities in the areas of the brain that keep unwanted thoughts in the head, according to a study from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Sleep problems play an important role in the onset and persistence of many mental health disorders, but the cause of this link remains unidentified.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) provides new insights into the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the link between sleep and mental health. These findings may help develop new treatments and prevention strategies for mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Dr. Marcus Harrington, who conducted the study, is a lecturer in UEA’s School of Psychology and is the lead author of the paper “Deficits in memory control in the sleep-deprived human brain.” He worked with colleagues from the Universities of York, Cambridge, Sussex and Queen’s University (Canada) to conduct this trial.

Functional neuroimaging has shown for the first time that deficits in memory control following sleep deprivation are associated with difficulties engaging brain regions that support inhibition of memory retrieval, and that nocturnal recovery of these brain regions is associated with sleep in a phase with rapid eye movement (REM).

Memories of unpleasant experiences can often enter the mind in response to reminders.  Although such intrusive memories are a random and momentary stimulus for most people, they can be recurrent, vivid and upsetting for individuals suffering from mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Given that memories play a central role in our emotional perception of the external world, failures in memory control may largely explain the link between sleep loss and impaired emotional regulation.

A better understanding of the mechanisms that trigger intrusive memories is vital for improving emotional well-being and reducing the global burden of mental illness.

In this study, eighty-five healthy adults attempted to suppress unwanted memories while having their brains scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Half of the participants got a good night’s sleep in a sleep lab before the task, while the other half stayed awake all night.

During memory suppression, well-rested participants showed greater activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain that controls thoughts, actions and emotions – compared to those who stayed up all night. The rested participants also showed decreased activity in the hippocampus – a brain region involved in memory retrieval – during attempts to suppress unwanted memories.

Among the participants who slept in the lab, those who spent more time in the REM phase of sleep better engaged the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during memory suppression, suggesting a role for REM sleep in restoring prefrontal control mechanisms underlying the ability to prevent unwanted memories from entering consciousness.

The principal investigator said: “Taken together, our results suggest a critical role for sleep in maintaining control over our memories and current thoughts.”

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Published: 07.01.2025

Updated: 04.01.2025

Medical author, Medical editor:

Stepan Yuk

Medical expert:

PhD. Olexandr Voznyak