A Review of the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Learning and Memory: the Role of Sex Hormones

Background and Objectives: Studies have indicated that sleep is essential for the development and survival of the brain and increases the brain's capacity for cognitive functions, and sleep loss disrupts cognitive performance. The present review study aimed to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on learning and memory with an emphasis on the role of sex hormones. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate this topic, the articles were searched for in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus Database, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The words used while searching were “sleep deprivation, sleep, learning and memory, sex hormones, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive functions” that finally, ninety one references on these topics were reviewed. Results: Researches have shown that sleep deprivation can disrupt learning and memory long-term potentiation (LTP), gene expression, and the rate of proteins in the hippocampus that are important in learning, memory and synaptic plasticity. Studies have shown that cognitive performances such as memory and learning and also different aspects of sleep, including quality and pattern, are different in sexes. A Change in sleep pattern is often associated with hormonal factors, especially sex hormones. Conclusion: Therefore, sex hormones affect the structure of the brain, behavior, learning, and memory in both sexes. The loss of hormonal function is associated with sleep disorders, and reduces learning and memory, especially in female subjects. It can be concluded that ovarian hormones might play a protective role against the deterioration in learning and memory in women with sleep los