How Sleep plays an Important Role in Brain Health - Dr Nivedita Kumar

Sleep is critical for our overall well-being, which is fundamental in maintaining brain health and cognitive function. Adequate sleep supports memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and optimal decision-making, ultimately enhancing productivity and quality of life.

To a large extent, the amount of sleep determines our brain health. But it is worth noting that our sleep requirements vary as we age. Typically, a newborn baby up to the age of a toddler requires 11-17 hours of sleep, while adults need 7-8 hours of sleep.

However, a staggering 60-70% of our adult population fails to get this amount of sleep due to our current fast-paced lifestyles and excessive screen time.

The reduction in sleep time significantly impacts our overall health, but our brain is affected the most. Our brain is a vital organ that controls our thoughts, memory, motor skills, and vision, coordinates our movements, and helps us with judgment, reasoning, and thinking.

All these functions start deteriorating as we age, but lack of sleep can harm our brain functions.

With prolonged sleep deprivation, our brain starts to slow down and become susceptible to neurodegenerative processes.

Let's look at some benefits sleep can have on our brain health.

Importance of sleep for good brain health

Restores body cells: During the restorative phase of sleep, the body initiates crucial repair and rejuvenation processes at the cellular level. This period is characterised by the release of growth hormones, like human growth hormone (HGH), which is pivotal in stimulating tissue repair, promoting muscle growth, and enhancing immune function. These growth hormones facilitate the repair of damaged cells and tissues, aiding recovery from daily wear and tear. Furthermore, the immune system is bolstered during sleep, with immune cells actively targeting and combating pathogens to defend against infections and illnesses. Sleep is a vital time for the body to replenish and revitalise itself, ensuring optimal physical health and resilience.

Removes toxic waste: Rapid eye movement (REM) while sleeping is the stage where people experience dreams. REM is also the critical stage where toxic waste from the brain is cleared. Amyloid beta, tau proteins, and other metabolic waste accumulated during the daytime get removed from the brain. When toxins are not cleared from the brain, it leads to various diseases like brain fog, an inability to focus, reduction in cognitive abilities, and, in the long term, can even lead to neurological conditions like dementia.

Memory consolidation: During sleep, the brain actively processes and consolidates the day's information, sharpening problem-solving skills and fostering creativity. This dynamic process strengthens neural connections, enhances memory retention and facilitates innovative thinking. In essence, sleep serves as a crucial phase for optimising cognitive functions and promoting creative problem-solving.

Improves cognitive functions & provides emotional stability: Sleep is vital for brain health, facilitating cognitive functions like memory consolidation and learning. Inadequate sleep is also detrimental to promoting emotional well-being, as sleep regulates mood and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.

Improves metabolic functions of the body: Quality sleep plays a role in regulating the metabolic functions of the body. Adequate rest supports the balance of hormones involved in metabolism, such as insulin, leptin, and ghrelin, which helps control appetite and energy expenditure. Additionally, sufficient sleep promotes efficient glucose metabolism, reduces the risk of insulin resistance, and supports healthy weight management. Therefore, prioritising good sleep habits is essential for optimising metabolic health and overall well-being.

How do you ensure you get the right amount of sleep?

Adopting a few effective sleep practices helps unlock the benefits of restorative sleep.

• Prioritising sleep hygiene by adhering to consistent sleep schedules.
• Investing in the right mattress made with hypoallergenic & patented Memoform with stretch technology.
• Cultivating a comfortable sleep environment for better sleep quality.