Recently a study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of brain biochemistry and sleep. The goal was to find out how sleep affects the functioning and regeneration of the brain. What was seen in the study confirms what most of us already know: that a good night’s sleep is critical to our ability to function, especially in a stress filled world.
Sleep issues are one of the major problems many of my patients seek help for. As I’ve said in the past, sleep depravation is an effective means of torture.
The study revealed that the human body clears toxins out of the brain while we’re asleep. Just as failing to clear toxins through a healthy colon will eventually create systemic problems with a boatload of health challenges, when the brain is involved, control of the whole body is affected.
Research has shown that sleep is essential for cognition and healthy brain function. Many people find that they can’t calm their brain activity to achieve healthy sleep. Slow waves in neural activity contribute to memory consolidation. In this mode, cerebrospinal fluid can clear metabolic waste products. However, the relationship between these two processes had yet to be seen till this recent research revealed it.
Until recently, the relationship between these two processes weren’t all that clear. Cerebrospinal fluid, a translucent liquid which flows around the brain and helps cushion the brain and spinal cord from injury is equally responsible for providing nutrients to these tissues. Just as our blood delivers nourishment and carries away cellular waste, your cerebrospinal fluid accomplishes this for the brain and central nervous system.
The study revealed an additional function of sleep. Researchers used accelerated neuro-imagery to measure physiological and neural dynamics in the human brain, and unveiled a pattern suggesting a coherent connection between brain dynamics during non-rapid eye movement sleep.
The study participants were asked to lie down and fall asleep inside an MRI machine wearing an EEG cap. For most of us, just being inside an MRI would be a negative influence on sleep. This allowed researchers to observe blood oxygen levels in their brains and how much cerebrospinal fluid flowed in and out of their brains via the MRI machine. During this time, the EEG caps simultaneously measured the electrical currents flowing through their brains.
The researchers discovered that during non-REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep which occurs when a person transitions from being awake to falling asleep, large, slow waves of fluid were washing over the participants brains after an electrical wave when the neurons would stop firing. This meant less blood would flow within the brain, yet cerebrospinal fluid would rush in to fill the space, clearing out metabolic byproducts as it moved. Literally a washing of the area to clear the space for the upcoming days activities.
The study revealed how sleep possesses a very distinct function for the brain. With so many cognitive challenges in both the young and old, the importance of adequate, refreshing sleep can’t be ignored. The mechanisms of sleep need to be taken into consideration when dealing with people.
Our central nervous system consists of both a parasympathetic and sympathetic branch. The sympathetic is involved in fight or flight and energizing the system in the go modality. The parasympathetic is responsible for putting the body into the repair mode. This is when we get to calm and refresh the system.
Trying to sleep when your body is stuck in the sympathetic dominant mode is destined to fail. Our bodies require nutrition specific to allow for calming. Minerals like potassium and magnesium have qualities which nourish the parasympathetic and calm the sympathetic nervous system. On the contrary, we find that phosphorous can act to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. This is fine if we are too dominant in the parasympathetic and can’t get off the couch, but really can be tough for the sleep deprived or mentally challenged.
Some herbs like chamomile, skullcap, valerian root, passions flower, and St John’s Wort have properties which aid in calming sympathetic and establishing parasympathetic activity.
Sleep issues are one of the major problems many of my patients seek help for. As I’ve said in the past, sleep depravation is an effective means of torture.
The study revealed that the human body clears toxins out of the brain while we’re asleep. Just as failing to clear toxins through a healthy colon will eventually create systemic problems with a boatload of health challenges, when the brain is involved, control of the whole body is affected.
Research has shown that sleep is essential for cognition and healthy brain function. Many people find that they can’t calm their brain activity to achieve healthy sleep. Slow waves in neural activity contribute to memory consolidation. In this mode, cerebrospinal fluid can clear metabolic waste products. However, the relationship between these two processes had yet to be seen till this recent research revealed it.
Until recently, the relationship between these two processes weren’t all that clear. Cerebrospinal fluid, a translucent liquid which flows around the brain and helps cushion the brain and spinal cord from injury is equally responsible for providing nutrients to these tissues. Just as our blood delivers nourishment and carries away cellular waste, your cerebrospinal fluid accomplishes this for the brain and central nervous system.
The study revealed an additional function of sleep. Researchers used accelerated neuro-imagery to measure physiological and neural dynamics in the human brain, and unveiled a pattern suggesting a coherent connection between brain dynamics during non-rapid eye movement sleep.
The study participants were asked to lie down and fall asleep inside an MRI machine wearing an EEG cap. For most of us, just being inside an MRI would be a negative influence on sleep. This allowed researchers to observe blood oxygen levels in their brains and how much cerebrospinal fluid flowed in and out of their brains via the MRI machine. During this time, the EEG caps simultaneously measured the electrical currents flowing through their brains.
The researchers discovered that during non-REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep which occurs when a person transitions from being awake to falling asleep, large, slow waves of fluid were washing over the participants brains after an electrical wave when the neurons would stop firing. This meant less blood would flow within the brain, yet cerebrospinal fluid would rush in to fill the space, clearing out metabolic byproducts as it moved. Literally a washing of the area to clear the space for the upcoming days activities.
The study revealed how sleep possesses a very distinct function for the brain. With so many cognitive challenges in both the young and old, the importance of adequate, refreshing sleep can’t be ignored. The mechanisms of sleep need to be taken into consideration when dealing with people.
Our central nervous system consists of both a parasympathetic and sympathetic branch. The sympathetic is involved in fight or flight and energizing the system in the go modality. The parasympathetic is responsible for putting the body into the repair mode. This is when we get to calm and refresh the system.
Trying to sleep when your body is stuck in the sympathetic dominant mode is destined to fail. Our bodies require nutrition specific to allow for calming. Minerals like potassium and magnesium have qualities which nourish the parasympathetic and calm the sympathetic nervous system. On the contrary, we find that phosphorous can act to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. This is fine if we are too dominant in the parasympathetic and can’t get off the couch, but really can be tough for the sleep deprived or mentally challenged.
Some herbs like chamomile, skullcap, valerian root, passions flower, and St John’s Wort have properties which aid in calming sympathetic and establishing parasympathetic activity.
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