Want to Improve Your Memory? Go to Bed!
by www.SixWise.com
Anyone who's suffered through a bout of insomnia knows the
foggy-headed feeling that comes with it the next day. It can
feel as though your mind is working in slow motion.
The findings of a new study make perfect sense, then, as
it was found that a good night's sleep has the opposite affect
on your brain -- it can actually help to improve your memory.
The study, published in the journal Neuroscience, involved
12 college-aged individuals who were taught a sequence of
skilled finger movements (similar to a piano scale), then
tested on their ability to remember them after a 12-hour period
of wake or sleep.
Meanwhile, an MRI measured their brain activity and showed
that, after sleep, some areas of the brain were more active
and others were noticeably less active. Together, the brain
activity changes that occurred after sleep resulted in improvements
in the participants' motor skill performance.
|
Infants may need much more sleep than adults because
they're busy "solidifying" newly learned skills
in their brains.
|
"The MRI scans are showing us that brain regions shift
dramatically during sleep," says the study's lead author,
Matthew Walker, PhD, director of the Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center's Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory. "When
you're asleep, it seems as though you are shifting memory
to more efficient storage regions within the brain. Consequently,
when you awaken, memory tasks can be performed both more quickly
and accurately and with less stress and anxiety."
Interestingly, when a person learns a new skill, the memories
are vulnerable until they are "solidified" in the
brain. It appears that sleeping plays a key role in this process,
which may explain why infants, who are constantly learning
new skills, require so much more sleep than adults.
Likewise, stroke patients and other people who have suffered
brain injuries may also benefit from increased amounts of
sleep as part of their rehabilitation program.
Even More Reasons to Get a Good Night's Sleep
As though improved memory weren't enough incentive, there
are many other reasons why getting plenty of shut-eye is a
wise move. When we sleep:
- Muscle tissue is rebuilt and restored
- Growth hormone is secreted (this is important for kids
but also for rebuilding tissue in adults)
- Mental energy is restored
|
Sticking with a relaxing bedtime routine can help you
fall fast asleep every night.
|
And a good night's sleep is important for everything from
improving your mood and mental alertness to giving you energy
and stamina to get through the day.
On the other hand, if you don't get the sleep you need:
-
Your immune system may become impaired, leaving you less
able to fight off disease
-
You may feel irritable and have poor memory, poor concentration
and mood swings
-
You're more likely to feel angry, pessimistic and sad
-
Your coordination, reaction time and judgment may all
be negatively affected, which is particularly dangers
while driving
Tips for a Sound Night's Sleep
|
Sleep Easy With the Ultimate Soothing
Music and Meditation CD on the Market!
 Sleep
Easy CD: Guided Meditations for Deep Rest.
With guided sleep meditations by a leading meditation
expert, Mary Maddux, and music by a renowned meditation
music composer with 20 years experience, this CD will
help you find deep rest and sleep ... at an incredible
price.
Sleep Easy CD users have reported:
- Falling asleep faster
- Waking up less throughout the night
- Falling back to sleep faster when awakened during
the night
- Feeling more rested the next morning
Some Recent Testimonials
"I was surprised by how quickly I drifted off
to sleep ... The music is phenomenal, ethereal. Mary's
voice has a musical, relaxing and trance-inducing quality.
There was a difference, also, in the quality of my sleep.
Upon awakening, I felt more rested." --SR, Mother,
CA
"I fell asleep more easily with the CD--not sleeping
with all this stuff on my mind and all the unfinished
business of the day. The music is relaxing, calming,
nurturing ... " --Kitty Alder, Energy Consultant,
NE
For
a Limited Time: Get FREE Shipping Anywhere in the World!
Send the Sleep Easy CD to Loved Ones Anywhere as a Great
Gift!
|
Sometimes, even with the best intentions, it can be difficult
to get to sleep each night. If you struggle with falling asleep,
find that you wake up during the night or sleep restlessly
in general, try these tips for a peaceful night of slumber.
-
Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
-
Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at
the same time each morning.
-
Exercise (but not too close to bedtime, as it could
keep you up).
-
Keep your bedroom cool, quiet, and dark--and use it
only for sleep.
-
Drink a cup of relaxing tea, like chamomile.
-
Massage your feet.
-
Stretch a bit before you lie down.
-
Once you are in bed, listen to relaxing music or a relaxation
or sleep CD to help you "shift gears" and relax
into sleep.
Recommended Reading
Why Do We Need
to Sleep? The Latest Fascinating Theories on This Mystery
Phenomenon
Noise
Pollution: How Bad is it, How Bad Could it Get, What are the
Effects?
Sources
Neuroscience.
2005;133(4):911-917
Health
Orbit: Study Shows How Sleep Improves Memory
The
Link Between Poor Sleep and Anxiety