Sleep is a Do Over for Your Brain

Sleep deep cleans what builds up in your brain. Ensure you get a proper reboot.

If you have ever struggled to make it through a workday after a late night out can tell you that sleep is essential.

Sleep experts continually add fascinating new reasons to the long list of why we sleep, from reinforcing learnings to cleansing emotional, painful memories to inhibiting unnecessary and cranky arguments with your loved ones.

A most exciting recent discovery to add to the list, and bad news for those who do not get enough sleep, is that we now know sleeping washes toxins from the brain.

Noggin showers

During non-REM sleep, a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid washes the brain; this cleans out toxins created by everyday use that can clog the brain.

Throughout non-REM sleep, our neurons begin to synchronize by turning on and off. When our neurons briefly stop firing (turning off), they do not need as much oxygen. This pause results in less blood flow to our noggin. At this moment, cerebrospinal fluid moves in to fill the oxygen void in the space left behind.

So, in summary, sleep allows your brain to take a shower, rinsing the toxins that build up as a part of our daily routines.

Good news, bad news

This discovery may be game-changing for Alzheimer’s patients. Further research could lead to a treatment plan focused on increasing the cerebrospinal fluid within the brain through non- REM sleep. This solution could lower patients’ need to rely on a medication-only approach.

More than just individuals with Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions should take note as this discovery affects just about everyone. At a minimum, the finding further displays how vital sleep is to the brain and our general health. Sleep is serious business as you need it to keep healthy brain function.

Therefore, the next time you say to yourself, “just one more episode” while streaming. Or “I have to get up and fold the laundry.” Take a beat, remember this finding, and consider the toxins that have built up in your brain throughout the day. They will stay there if you do not turn off the lights and emphasize sleep.