The Importance of Sleep for Brain Health: Tips for Restful Nights and Optimal Cognitive Function

2023-09-28 08:16:27

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – With a modern lifestyle full of activities and stimulation, it is difficult to completely disconnect from the concerns of life and relax. But this is what the brain needs to repair itself and restore its activity.

The only place our brain can go to rest is during sleep. This is why it is important to get enough sleep.

In other words, what happens in the brain is that it gets the opportunity to not consciously engage in task switching throughout the day, Victoria Garfield, a senior research fellow at the Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Aging and a professor at University College London, explained to the chief medical correspondent at CNN, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

“Our cognitive function will improve as a result, and we will feel better the next day because our brain cells have a chance to rest and regenerate,” she said.

Garfield has studied sleep for a decade, noting that one of her primary interests over the past 10 years has been “understanding why we need to sleep properly, and the importance of sleep for the brain and body, especially as we age.”

She added that decades of evidence support the idea that sleeping too little or too much is associated with an increased risk of diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, dementia, a diagnosis of sleep apnea, anxiety and depression.

Garfield’s team recently found that regular daytime napping is associated with greater total brain volume, regarding 15 cubic centimetres, equivalent to between 2.5 and 6.5 years of aging.

The study, published in the scientific journal Sleep Health last June, analyzed data, including MRI, from more than 35,000 adults at the UK Biobank.

“We think this is really important because lower overall brain volume is associated with some disease, premature mortality, and higher levels of stress,” she said.

Here are five tips to make sure your brain gets a good rest

Get enough sleep

You really need to spend more quality time with your pillow, ideally between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night for adults, depending on your age, according to Garfield.

Establish a consistent sleep schedule

You must go to sleep and wake up at the same time throughout the week, which may be difficult but important, as it prepares you to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.

Short nap

There’s no shame in taking a short nap. Garfield said a nap can last regarding 30 minutes, which is good for the brain.

Although her team found a positive effect on the brain associated with short daytime naps, other studies have found that napping is associated with negative outcomes, including an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Do some exercises

Sleep and naps aren’t the only ways to give your brain a break, movement is also important.

“There’s a lot of evidence that…getting out and walking is really beneficial, especially just disconnecting from electronics and connecting with nature if you can,” Garfield said.

Exercise does not have to be a walk in nature. What is important is separation from work and other activities that require a lot of concentration.

Doing activities that do not require thinking

Garfield recommends other activities that require less brain power, such as watching TV or even going grocery shopping.

She recommends stopping using electronic devices an hour before going to bed at night.

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