How Do Sleep Habits Affect the Brain?
Does how you sleep affect your brain? The short answer is yes. Sleep is an extremely important part of your routine, and getting enough sleep at the right time is just as important for your brain and the rest of your body as getting enough to eat and drink.
After all, without sleep, it’s difficult to learn and create new memories, and it’s harder to concentrate and respond quickly, too.
And sleep is important to a variety of functions in your brain, even playing an important role in removing toxins in the brain that build up when you’re awake and can play havoc with your body.
What is the Purpose of Sleep?
So, you know you need sleep, but what exactly is its purpose? We’re still discovering that, but one thing is certain – sleep affects every system in the body: heart, lungs, immune system, and brain.
A consistent lack of sleep, bad sleeping habits, or poor quality sleep can increase the risk of many disorders from high blood pressure to depression and obesity. Sleep plays an important role in reducing the risk of Alzheimers, PTSD, diabetes, and it also improves memory consolidation and helps to eliminate negative memories while solidifying good memories.
Many parts of your brain, including the hypothalamus, amygdala, and brain stem, are affected by sleep.
The Stages of Sleep
Sleep happens as: REM and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is the period of time when most of your dreaming occurs.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
While sleep needs do change as you age, about 7-9 hours of sleep are needed for most adults. After age 60, sleep may become shorter or lighter.
Because people tend to get less sleep in today’s busy working and media-centric world, they may feel deprived of sleep, and catching up over the weekend may not be enough for brain health.
Sleep helps to:
Consolidate your long term memory
Help to suppress negative memories, which play a role in depression and PTSD
Clear toxins such as those involved with Alzheimer’s disease
Assists with good good cognition
Assists with creativity
Improves physical health and your longevity
Reduces negative impact on all organ systems throughout the body
In other words, getting enough sleep is not a luxury. It’s necessary for the health of your brain and your entire body.
How to Get More Sleep
Because it’s so important to get enough sleep for your brain and body, there are a variety of ways to make sure you do get it:
Establish a regular bedtime
Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet
Eliminate the use of electronic devices before bedtime
Create a relaxing ritual before bedtime – listening to soft music, reading, or taking a hot bath can all be good techniques
Consume a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, eliminating sugary junk and caffeine as much as possible, especially close to bedtime
Interested in Learning More About Longevity Herbs?
If you’d like to learn more about the best sleep habits and how to achieve them, and more about how Longevity Herbs can help, browse our product selection online or contact us today.
