What happens when you consistently don’t get enough sleep? In a study involving 48 healthy adults (ages 21–38), researchers looked at what happens when they were allowed to sleep for 8 hours, 6 hours, or 4 hours over the course of 14 days.
Just two weeks of sleep restriction to 6 hours or less a night caused significant decreases in cognitive performance. Moreover, the study participants weren’t aware that they had significant cognitive deficits over the study period. They thought they were doing ok with six hours of sleep, but the tests proved otherwise.
The reality is that we all have periods in life when we are likely to be chronically sleep deprived — whether due to insomnia, work schedules, stress, traveling, or a health or pain issue.
Problems sleeping can happen at any age, but they are much more common as we get older.
While getting sleep back on track is essential, there are also some new studies on ways to mitigate the negative consequences of sleep deficits.
Sometimes you just need to solve the immediate issue of getting your brain back on track now, and then work towards figuring out how to consistently sleep well. That’s what this research roundup is all about - what to do the morning after a sleepless night, when your brain and body are crying out for help.
Creatine supplements:
Study: Single-Dose Creatine Reduces Sleep Deprivation-Induced Deterioration in Cognitive Performance, Nutrients April, 2026
This new study is a follow-up to a 2025 study on the impact of a high dose of creatine after sleep deprivation (21 hours awake). The study participants were healthy adults aged 20-40 who normally sleep at least 7 hours a night. The study was a double-blind, randomized, prospective trial where participants essentially did the sleep deprivation twice, 7 days apart, with a placebo for one test and creatine for the other.
The participants were given 0.2 g/kg body weight of creatine (or placebo) and then had cognitive tests later to see if the creatine could help mitigate sleep deficits. The results showed that creatine improved cognitive performance compared to a placebo. Creatine helps in maintaining ATP regeneration in the brain, keeping the brain functioning a little better in logic and cognitive processing speed.
This study was a follow-up to a prior study that had used 0.35g/kg bw creatine, which, for a 70 kg (154 lb) person, would be 24.5 g of creatine, which is a lot.
In this new study, using 0.2 g/kg (14g for a 70 kg person) showed positive results with an improvement of up to 12%, but the effect wasn’t as pronounced as the higher dose.
My thoughts: Creatine isn’t right for everyone, but if you don’t have a medical reason not to take creatine, it is worth considering. Look for one in a powdered form without additives, like this (Amazon link as an example - buy the brand you like best). I can get 14g to dissolve in a cup of coffee or smoothie on a morning after a sleepless night.
Here’s more on creatine and longevity.
Taurine:
Study: Taurine Prevents Impairments in Skin Barrier Function and Dermal Collagen Synthesis Triggered by Sleep Deprivation-Induced Estrogen Circadian Rhythm Disruption Cells 2025
Another consequence of sleep deprivation is both intestinal barrier dysfunction and skin barrier dysfunction. You see this in the mirror after a sleepless night…
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