A study undertaken by the US Journal of Neuroscience (JNeurosci) stipulates that sleep-deprivation affects nerve cells in the brain, and contributes to reduced performance.

The study, which was conducted on mice that were forced to stay awake with their brain activity monitored, finds that chronic sleep-deprivation affected the brain’s ability to process information, inhibiting intellectual performance during waking hours.

An earlier study had found that missing even one night’s sleep was more dangerous than following a high-fat diet, and increased risk of diabetes.