Sleep Recharges Our Brain

The importance of having a good night’s sleep is well known to all, and it is that suffering from insomnia is a threat to well-being. It is involved in various brain mechanisms, so maintaining good sleep hygiene is very important. Because sleep recharges our brain.

After a night without shutting an eye, we can suffer different adverse consequences during the day, such as fatigue, drowsiness, headache, attention deficit … Thus, it is evident that its function goes beyond that of allowing us a simple physical rest. On the other hand, its complex function and the need that human beings have to sleep is derived from the effects of lack of sleep.

But what happens while we sleep? What functions does sleep have? How can I improve the quality of my sleep? All these questions and some more will be answered below.

Mechanisms and phases of sleep

While we sleep, certain neurological processes that are fundamental for learning mechanisms and memory consolidation take place. Remember that sleep is a basic human need and its deprivation has serious consequences, both mental and physical.

Once sleep begins, a 70-100 minute cycle is identified that repeats 4 to 5 times per night. The cycle begins when we are falling asleep. At this point, non-REM sleep begins first in the superficial phase and then in the deep phase.

As the hours of sleep go by, the duration of the REM phase is longer, so sleep is lighter at the beginning of the night. The duration of the phases also changes according to age. For example, newborns sleep for 20 hours, most of them in REM phase, which prompts us to think about the implication of the REM phase in neurocognitive development.

Factors that regulate sleep

The need for sleep is modified depending on the daytime activity of each one. Thus, those who do not accumulate physical fatigue do not need the “physical repair” that takes place during sleep. So those sedentary people will have many difficulties sleeping, because the body does not identify the need to rest.

There is an endogenous 25-hour sleep-wake cycle that is synchronized with the 24-hour light-dark cycle. This is another factor that will be influential. This timing is off in some people, who have a circadian cycle disorder. Melatonin is involved in this process.

The synthesis of this neurohormone varies during the 24-hour cycle, and responds to changes in ambient lighting. Normally, the secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland is inhibited by light and stimulated by darkness. Its secretion reaches its peak in the middle of the night and gradually decreases.

The importance of sleep hygiene

One in every 3 people will suffer throughout their life cycle from a sleep disorder, with serious consequences. They can affect academic and work performance, since it causes cognitive alterations; as well as emotional changes that will affect interpersonal relationships or mood.

There are basic rules to solve these disorders or avoid them, these guidelines are part of sleep hygiene, which can guarantee that it is restorative. The following are some of the rules to follow:

• The room where we sleep has to be a pleasant place. No noise, stable temperature and no excessive light stimulation.
• The previous routine has to gradually reduce our level of physical and mental activity. Taking a relaxing bath, listening to chill out music or doing relaxation exercises can be good examples.
• It is important to set a set time, such as bedtime and wake-up time. It is also necessary to avoid “recovering” the sleep lost in the morning and getting up at the previously established time.
• Avoid naps during the day, then they can make it difficult for us to sleep at night.

• Reduce the consumption of coffee and tobacco and all kinds of stimulant substances that may interfere.
• Don’t overeat before bed, but don’t go to bed hungry either.

Sleep function

It is currently not entirely clear, although there are various hypotheses. One of the theories is that of the conservation of energy. During sleep, our body temperature drops and oxygen consumption is reduced. Let’s say it is a kind of energy saving to conserve energy after tasks performed during the day.

It has the objective of rehabilitating our body after the effort made. It would combat the fatigue produced by the daytime waking state, physiologically restoring our body.

There have also been studies referring to memory consolidation. Sleeping after training on any cognitive task, such as studying for a test or playing an instrument, significantly increases performance. The presence, in brain regions, of activity patterns similar to those of wakefulness suggests that these activity patterns are reviewed, favoring learning.