Top Tips for Good Sleep

What happens when we sleep? How can we sleep better?

Jul 22, 2024

Hey Brain Rewirers,

Welcome to this week’s newsletter! Let’s chat about the importance of sleep, and then I’ll share some top tips to help you sleep better.

What is sleep?

Sleep is important to numerous brain functions, including learning and memory formation, emotional regulation, and overall brain health maintenance. When we sleep, we cycle through two phases of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep, also known as deep sleep¹. Each cycle lasts approximately ninety minutes. Early in the night, we go through two stages of deep sleep, the slowest-wave sleep that is the most restorative for our brains and bodies¹. Typically, you’ll descend into a deep sleep within an hour of falling asleep, with each cycle getting progressively shorter as the night progresses. As deep sleep cycles get shorter, REM cycles get longer. REM sleep is when we dream, and this sleep is most important for emotional processing and memory consolidation.

Stages of Sleep. Created with Biorender.com.

REM Sleep

Emotional Processing and Memory

Studies have shown that REM sleep plays a significant role in integrating and processing emotional memories; it helps to remove the emotional load associated with traumatic experiences and intrusive thoughts^2,3. In fact, therapeutic approaches such as EMDR, which uses guided eye movements to reduce emotional impacts of memories, have been developed to mimic some aspects of REM sleep to help individuals^4,5. We also know that lack of sleep enhances the feelings of negative emotions and mitigates the effect of achieving a goal on positive emotions⁶. Sleeps ability to regulate emotions and emotional memories is multifactorial. REM sleep is known to module the connectivity between the amygdala, which manages emotions, and the prefrontal cortex, which is in charge of decisions⁷. Additionally, REM sleep is known to be important in organizing and structuring memories, especially emotional memories^8,9. This restructuring may reduce our emotional reactivity towards certain events. Finally, testosterone, which is important for memory consolidation and appropriate emotional reactivity, is realised during REM sleep¹⁰.

For more information on REM sleep and testosterone, growth hormone, and inflammation, grab a copy of Rewire!

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Deep Sleep

Learning, Memory, and Maintenance

Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, is critical for restorative sleep and allows the body to repair. Deep sleep is also associated with integrating memories into our neural circuits⁹. (As opposed to REM sleep, which structures and organizes memories). Growth hormone is secreted during this stage of sleep, which is important for memory consolidation and learning¹¹. Indeed, deep sleep is important for acquiring new motor skills¹². Deep sleep is also responsible for cleaning out toxins in the brain through something called the glymphatic system¹³. This system ensures the efficient elimination of toxic metabolites from the central nervous system; think of it as a waste-clearance system for the brain. When this system isn’t functioning properly, it can lead to neuronal loss and inflammation. Interestingly, recent evidence has questioned how important sleep is for this system, highlighting how the field is always growing and learning¹⁴.

What happens when we don’t sleep?

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you how horrible it is to not get enough sleep – we’ve all experienced it. But to give you an idea of just how bad it is for you – going without sleep for 48 hours causes cognitive impairments similar to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1% - meaning you would not be allowed to drive¹⁵. Indeed, from studies of people with insomnia, we know that daytime functioning is impaired in those who cannot sleep, and this is thought to be a result of underlying neurobiological alterations¹⁶. We also know that sleep disorders cause more mental and physical health conditions, including diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease¹⁷.

Top Tips for Good Nights Sleep

HOT SHOWERS HELP LOWER BODY TEMPERATURE¹⁸

AVOID CAFFEINE 8 HOURS BEFORE SLEEP¹⁹

BLACKOUT ROOM/EYE MASK²⁰

STRETCH BEFORE BED²¹

MORNING SUNLIGHT^22,23

For more top sleep tips, check out my book, Rewire!

Until next week,

Nicole x

P.S. Leave a comment with future topic requests!

Rewire With Nicole Vignola

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