Your Brain Gets Cleaned As You Sleep, New Study Reveals.

Originally posted October 23, 2013

While you are sleeping, your brain gets cleaned out of all the debris that builds up while you are awake.

I didn’t realize that I had gunk in my brain, other than years of negative thoughts that might creep in, or extraneous information that really doesn’t add value to my life in any way.  Actually, I’ve noticed at times that I have too much information going on in my brain when I am working on a number of projects at the same time, and it goes on overload, resulting in frustration or confusion.  have you ever experienced that?  Maybe your brain needs cleaning, so have a nap or go to bed early.

This latest revelation on cleansing of the brain comes from a new study led by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center, that basically says that when you close your eyes, your brain goes on a cleaning spree.   Nice to know we have our own cleaning service while we sleep!

Pople who don’t get enough sleep have trouble learning and making decisions, and are slower to react.  The finding in the latest study means that for people with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other mind disorders, “sleep would perhaps be even more important in slowing the progression of further damage,” Dr. Clete Kushida, medical director of the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center reported.

In an article from The Associate Press, October 18, 2013,  they explain that “the scientists had previously found a plumbing network in mouse brains that flushes out cellular waste.  For the new study, they injected the brains of mice with beta-amyloid, a substance that builds up in alzheimer’s disease, and followed its movement.  They determined that it was removed faster from the brains of sleeping mice that awake mice.  The team also noticed that brain cells tend to shrink during sleep, which widens the space between the cells, allowing waste to pass through that space more easily.”

So what do people do who have trouble getting a sound sleep through the night?

After years of suffering with insomnia, trying various things like drinking warm milk before bed, taking Neocitran, going for a walk and counting sheep (they always seemed to get in trouble!) I discovered a few absolute helps in this area of life:

1.  Invest in an excellent mattress and pillow (down-filled totally changed my sleeping habits)  Comfy bed clothes help too.  Everything organic if you can find it and afford it.

2.  Do stretching exercises before bed, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, to relaxing music.  Don’t watch the late night news with all its negativity.

3.  I chew two Active-Calcium Plus tablets, which are calming to the body, and also destroy bad bacteria in the mouth.  Then, two Pure Rest Melatonin tablets under the tongue to regulate your sleep rhythm throughout the night.

For further information concerning healthy sleep and vibrant health in general, please contact me: