A review of the effects of insomnia on cognitive functions

Introduction: Sleep deprivation is one of the most common problems in today's society. Researchers believe that insufficient sleep causes disorders in people's cognitive processes. Methods: We searched online databases for suitable studies. The search enclosed articles published in English. We limited our retained studies to those with results relating to sleep deprivation and cognition. Results: Studies have shown that sleep deprivation impairs sustained attention, learning and memory via several mechanisms. Conclusion: The severity and type of the effects produced by sleep deprivation depend on factors such as age and gender.