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How Does the Brain Affect Our Lives? - (Part 7)

A Book Review: Younger Brains, Sharper Brains by Eric R. Braverman, M.D.

by Maggie Dail, M.A., Learning Specialist




The Sleep Factor

As we age, our sleep often is less restful due to a lowering of serotonin levels. “When your serotonin levels begin to wane, your brain cannot modulate the energy created by the dopamine system. So instead of being active during the day and rested at night, your brain goes into overdrive all day long just to keep you functional and motivated. Meanwhile, your production of sleep-inducing delta waves increases, blocking alertness (dopamine), creativity (acetylcholine), and playfulness (GABA), and leading to feelings of depression.” P. 38

Those who have high levels of GABA work tirelessly to help others and are disappointed when their efforts are not reciprocated. Those with low levels of GABA are too tired to even take care of themselves, much less help others. (Highlighted text box p. 38)

“Disrupted sleep hinders your ability to achieve the proper amount of REM (rapid eye movement), which is the deepest, most restorative sleep phase. A lack of this type of sleep is one of the great age accelerators, further aging your brain and affecting your thinking.” P. 38

Lack of proper sleep leads to:

  • Psychomotor retardation

  • Slowing down of thought

  • Slowing down of speech

  • Reduction of physical movements

  • Depression

  • Fatigue

  • Lack of motivation

  • Mood change

  • Faltering memory

Sleep Apnea

“During sleep apnea, the person momentarily stops breathing. When the brain realizes that it isn’t getting enough oxygen, it forces the person to wake up and take a breath, creating multiple sleep interruptions. Unfortunately, the brain’s constant vigilance means that it never gets enough downtime – again insufficient sleep does not allow you to achieve enough REM phase sleep.” P. 40


Sleep Creates Memory Consolidation

“According to Robert Stickgold, professor at Harvard University, your brain needs to be fully rested to take in the maximum amount of information. Memory circuits can get fatigued along with the rest of your body, and when this happens, you don’t learn as well.” P. 40


Depression and Cognitive Loss

“Both dementia and depression are associated with atrophy of the hippocampus. A loss of brain cells in this area causes gradual damage, which in turns leads to memory loss and, eventually, dementia. Depression can be viewed as the natural consequence of dying brain cells combined with a loss of voltage, or brain power. Without reversing this brain cell loss and brain electrical loss, you will experience significant changes to your thinking as well as your temperament.” P. 42,43

“Mood changes are among the easiest brain reversals that you can make, because they appear during the mildest brain chemical deficits.” P. 46


Next time we will begin looking at Memory Problems.

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