Editor’s note: podcast season 8 Follow life with Sanjay Gupta We get back to basics by taking a closer look at the brain in various states. Each episode focuses on one of those states, such as the distracted brain, the frightened brain, or the well-nourished brain, to understand what’s going on inside our heads and how it works. focuses on how it affects our bodies.
(CNN) – Modern life is so packed with activities and stimulation that it is difficult to fully relax and unwind. But it’s something our brains need to repair and recover from themselves.
Slumberland is where our brains are (almost) guaranteed to get some downtime. That’s why it’s important to get enough sleep.
“In layman’s terms, what’s going on in our brains is essentially that throughout the day our brains…have the opportunity to not consciously engage in task switching,” says the Medical Research Council. says Victoria Garfield, senior research fellow in the Society’s Lifelong Health Unit. Professor of Aging and University College London, told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Provided by Victoria Garfield
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“As a result, our cognitive function will improve. And we’ll feel better the next day because our brain cells have a chance to rest, regenerate, and replenish.” she said.
Garfield has been studying sleep for 10 years. “One of my main interests over the past 10 years has been understanding why we need proper sleep, and why sleep is so important for our brains and bodies, especially as we get older.” she said.
The idea that getting too little or too much sleep is associated with an increased risk of diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, dementia, sleep apnea diagnosis, anxiety, and depression has been around for decades. This is supported by extensive evidence, he added.
Garfield’s team recently discovered that: habitual nap It is associated with an increase in total brain volume. The study, published in June in the journal Sleep Health, analyzed data, including MRIs, from more than 35,000 adults in the UK Biobank.
How big will it get? Garfield said the volume was about 15 cubic centimeters, which her team calculated to be the equivalent of her 2.5 to 6.5 years of aging. “That’s huge in terms of brain age. And this is huge because a decline in total brain volume is associated with certain diseases, increased mortality, and increased stress levels.” I think so,” she said.
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How can you give your brain enough rest? Garfield has five tips.
Sorry to anyone who believes they can survive on 4-5 hours of sleep each night, but you need to use your pillow to get more quality facetime. Ideally, 7 hours and 9 hours a night For adults, Garfield says, depending on their age.
“That’s not something people usually think about, and they’re very surprised when I say, ‘But if you don’t sleep well, it’s essentially related to all these nasty things.’ she said.
“There’s a huge emphasis on diet, healthy weight (and) exercise, trying not to get diabetes, all of those things,” she said. “People say, ‘Oh, yeah, but I get four hours of sleep a night, so I’m fine,’ but they don’t realize that the cumulative effects over time are actually not good for you. yeah.”
sleep, occur at the same time Seven days a week, Garfield said, that can be difficult. This is important as it will ensure she gets the 7-9 hours of sleep she needs. “A lot of us don’t do that.”
There’s no shame in taking a short nap. “The really obvious one for us is napping,” Garfield said. “Maybe up to 30 minutes or so, because we know that’s very beneficial for the brain. So we literally try to take a break and go to sleep for a little while.”
While her team found that short naps during the day have positive effects on the brain, other studies have found that napping is associated with negative outcomes, including: high blood pressure and strokeand have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleeping and napping aren’t the only ways to give your brain a break. Movement is also important.
“There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that getting outside and taking a walk is very beneficial, especially getting away from your devices and connecting with nature if possible,” Garfield said.
Exercise doesn’t have to be a walk in nature. The key is to step away from work and other activities that require a lot of attention.
“For me, recommending things like meditation and mindfulness seems like a pretty obvious thing to do. But actually, a lot of people, myself included, find this really difficult.” said Garfield, noting that you can’t just switch off your brain.
She recommends other activities that don’t require as much brain power. That includes watching TV (although Garfield emphasized that it’s not work-related) and even going grocery shopping. (Do not use electronic devices within 1 hour after going to bed at night.
“Again, it’s really important to stress that these things are really personal and different for everyone.”,” she said.
We hope these five tips help you get your brain closer to a rested state.Listen to the full episode here Find out the best times to nap and what sleep experts Victoria Garfield and Dr. Sanjay Gupta like to do to give your brain a break.and next week Chasing Life Podcast Explore the other end of the spectrum, the caffeinated brain, with special guest author Michael Pollan.