July 19, 2024

Boost Brain Power - The Role of Sleep

Did you know that only 10% of adults prioritize sleep and they choose to overwork themselves and focus on other daily activities of life instead of getting ample rest?

Sleep is vital for our brain and overall health; without it, you may feel tired and lethargic with an inability to focus or concentrate during the day leading to lower productivity.

Chronic sleep deprivation could lead to other serious health issues, sleep disorders, and a decline in cognitive function. Therefore, it is important to work on your sleep hygiene and get ample amounts of rest to boost your brain power and improve your overall health and well-being.

Sleep Deprivation And Your Brain

Research indicates that a lack of sleep due to sleep disorders like insomnia can be detrimental to your brain health, putting you at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Getting an adequate amount of sleep can help you reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia between the ages of 55 to 90 years as it can help clear the accumulation of beta-amyloid; a protein fragment of the amyloid plaque that builds up in your brain due to chronic sleep deprivation. Therefore, improving sleep and treating sleep disorders can help prevent these diseases and cognitive decline.

Treatment of sleep disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia can not only improve your cognitive function but also increase your ability to focus and concentrate on your day ultimately leading to higher productivity and motivation.

When you sleep, your brain gets the chance to rest and recover from the day as it goes through the different sleep cycles, REM and NON-REM. It is said that the REM (rapid eye movement) or the dreaming phase of sleep can enhance your memory, emotional well-being, and learning.

Disrupted sleep can affect your neurotransmitters and the stress hormones in your body leading to difficulty regulating your emotions and ability to think clearly. Moreover, chronic sleep deprivation is not only linked to a decline in brain power, but also associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Boost Brain Power by Sleeping Well

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends that adults ages 26 to 64 should aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, whereas people aged 65 and older should get seven to eight hours of restful sleep each night. If you are unable to sleep the full seven to nine hours at night, for instance, if you are a new mom and have to wake up for night feedings for your baby, you should aim to take naps during the day to make up for the lost sleep. This can help you avoid mood swings, crankiness, and low energy and help you focus and concentrate. Just make sure you don’t sleep too late in the day as it can interfere with your nighttime sleep since it may keep you up at night.

Getting the proper amount of rest helps boost your brain power by carrying out brain maintenance in the form of reorganizing and cataloging memories and all your learned information. The brain recovers and sorts out all the information gained so you can have a better ability to access and utilize it later on, making it easier to focus, concentrate, and retain more information leading to higher productivity and increased efficiency.

Remember that getting more sleep is part of the equation but it is not only the quantity of sleep that matters but also the quality. So, focus on improving your sleep hygiene by shutting off all electronics two hours before bedtime, sleeping and waking up at the same time every day, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine.

You spend about one-third of your life sleeping, why would you not focus on getting the most out of it to boost your brain power?

dhf

If you enjoyed this content check out my Substack Newsletter on Your Best Morning Routine at: https://theunreliablemind.substack.com/p/your-best-morning-routine