Sleep Deprivation and Circadian Disruption Stress, Allostasis, and Allostatic Load

Getting a good night's sleep seems a panacea for improving mood and cognition. These subjective impressions are supported by countless studies exploring the impacts of sleep (and sleep loss) on mental health, metabolism, and immune function. Similarly, being "out of phase" with local time, commonly experienced by shift workers of jet-lagged air travelers, demonstrates that there are both neural and physiologic effects of internal circadian (daily) time being misaligned with external environmental time. This article reviews these areas contextualized using the model of allostasis and allostatic load emphasizing the impact of this "wear and tear" on the brain and body.