Friday 19 March is World Sleep Day — here’s how to snooze your way to better brain health
We all know that good sleep is vital for brain health. Getting a good night’s rest improves our memory, boosts our mood, attention span and creativity, helps us to handle stress better and greatly enhances our mental performance.
Yet a survey by over 50s interest group AARP — who, in collaboration with Age UK, launched the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) — found that while 99 per cent of adults aged 50 or over believe sleep is important for their brain health, 43 per cent say that they do not get enough.
And that can be a problem.
Not only are people with chronic inadequate sleep more likely to experience cognitive decline, but they’re also at higher risk of developing serious conditions such as dementia, depression and heart disease.
The good news?
According to the GCBH, we can improve our sleep quality. Here we explore how…
Avoid early bedtimes or sleeping in
An early bedtime or a long lie-in can be tempting when we’re shattered, but sleeping more than the recommended amount for our age — seven to eight hours for those aged 50 or over — can actually have a negative effect on memory, learning and cognitive performance.
In fact, a recent study found that people who slept for more than nine hours a night showed a decline in memory and language skills — which are both early signs of dementia and can precede the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise first thing
Deep sleep helps us to process the information from our day and is vital for memory consolidation. But as we age, our deep sleep decreases. That’s why exercise, which is proven to help us get better quality sleep at night, is so important. And the earlier in the day you can do it, the better.
According to experts, people who work out early in the morning spend 75 per cent more time in the most restorative stages of sleep compared to those who exercise later.
Limit disruptions
Whether the cause is your noisy neighbour, hungry pet or snoring partner, sleep interruptions can cause your brain health to suffer. People who have poor and frequently disturbed sleep have a higher risk of cognitive decline than those who sleep through the night. Keep pets out of the bedroom and invest in some earplugs or a white noise machine to drown out sounds.
Get into a regular sleep-wake schedule
Research has found that having a regular sleep-wake schedule is related to improved sleep and better brain health. Where possible, try to get up at the same time each day. When you start waking five to 10 minutes before your alarm, you’ll know your body is in a good routine.
Reduce alcohol
Expert sleep consultant Tracy Hannigan says: ‘Avoid excess alcohol, particularly in the evening. Alcohol interferes with slow wave sleep, which is important for memory. This is also the period of sleep when the brain produces the most growth hormone and without adequate levels of this, there can be long-term consequences for our brain’s health. If you’re going to drink, stick to one and ensure you have it a couple of hours before you go to bed.’
Keep naps short
A short afternoon nap can help us to stay more alert into the evening and some studies have shown that it may even improve cognitive functioning in middle-aged adults. But if you nap for too long or too late into the afternoon this can impact the quality of your sleep at night. Keep it to less than 30 minutes, early in the afternoon.
Put 10 minutes aside
Feeling so stressed that you’re regularly getting restless and fragmented sleep at night can be a risk factor for cognitive decline and developing mental health problems.
Tracy says: ‘Put aside 10 minutes after dinner each day to jot down the day’s stresses and what your next step is in solving these problems. Likewise, schedule 10 minutes every morning as your ‘worry time’. That way you can tackle any worries that have surfaced in the night and stop your mind going into overdrive at night.’
Edited by Stephanie May
For more information, visit tracythesleepcoach.co.uk and globalcouncilonbrainhealth.org