You’re probably aware that a good night’s sleep makes you feel better, but did you know that poor sleep can make your brain and body age faster? There’s an important link between sleep and health. In short: subpar sleep is a primary factor in premature aging.
In the U.K. edition of HuffPost, writer Adrianne Webster reported on 11 ways we’re damaging our brains, as told by Dr. Daniel Amen to Steven Bartlett on Steven’s podcast Diary of a CEO podcast.
(Dr. Amen is a well-known psychiatrist and author who specializes in brain health and functional neuroimaging.
If you want better sleep and more energy, don’t ignore your circadian rhythm. An off-kilter circadian rhythm can cause insomnia, frequent waking, poor attention or mood, or negatively affect your physical health.
Do whatever you can to keep your bedroom as dark as possible when sleeping. Turn off the TV. Put away your mobile or tablet. Dial the lights way down. Why? The reason may not be what you think.
Neurofeedback is founded on the principle that the brain has an amazing ability to change itself. This ability is known as “neuroplasticity.” It’s how learning takes place. For example, neuroplasticity is what allows you to become better at a sport with practice or to develop a new habit over time.
A circadian rhythm is the internal clock established by your brain. Your brain will make note of when it is exposed to light and when it is exposed to darkness, creating a loose 24-hour clock to go by. The clockwork is quite fragile since, biologically, your brain has only been exposed to two variables to adjust it: sunlight and moonlight.
You may feel like you haven’t been sleeping well since the pandemic hit, and statistics say you’re not alone. Researchers have even coined a name for it: “coronasomnia.” That’s the wide-spread increase in sleepless nights and disturbed slumber that has spread over every age group during the past year.
Humans are most vulnerable to sleep deprivation in early March, as they transition from Standard Time to DST. One study found that the average person receives 40 minutes less sleep on the Monday after “springing forward” compared to other nights of the year. Researchers have also noted negative effects that occur during the transition from DST to Standard Time in November.
As COVID-19 sweeps through populations of every country in the world, scientists are learning yet another unhappy fact about what this stealthy organism is leaving in its wake. Not only does the virus leave the body of many of its victims compromised, but it’s having serious, and long-term effects, on the brain and nervous systems of some people.