Losing Your Memory, Are You Sleeping?

Sleep, it's so important for a lot of things but studies have shown it is vital for your memory and brain health. A study in 2013 discusses sleeps role in memory.

It is during sleep that you regenerate your body as well as your brain both physically and emotionally. During sleep you get rid of all the waste products and neurotoxins that build up, eliminating Beta Amyloid plaques that are implicated in  Alzheimer's Disease. There is a system that distributes nutrients and neurotransmitters while you sleep that is not active while you are awake. That is why sleep is so important!

There is REM sleep and Non-REM sleep, Both phases are important for your brain and your memory. Non-REM sleep is where we spend most of our time. Non-REM sleep is also known as Slow Wave Sleep (SWS).  Current research is showing that you gather all your memories while you are in SWS. This is also when you get your physical regeneration and  make most of your brain chemicals.
It's when you are in REM sleep the the memories transform into long term memories. So next year you will be able to remember what you did this Mother's Day.

Fine you say, but what am I supposed to do when I can't sleep? Sleep is estimated to be a problem in as many as a third of  all Americans and it is a guessing game on how to resolve that problem. Here I will cover some sleeping problems and strategies to solve them.

When you wake up several hours after you go to sleep with a rush of adrenalin you may be suffering from a drop in blood sugar. If you have hypo or hyperglycemia or are insulin resistant your blood sugar signals your adrenal glands and they can overreact with an adrenalin surge. Remedy: Have a high protein snack before bed. Something like a handful of nuts or a couple bites of leftover chicken.

If  you wake up about every 90 minutes you may be in adrenal exhaustion. Not a quick fix but your adrenal glands and stress levels must be addressed. Getting into a routine of being in bed before 10pm. That second wind hits about then and you're more awake than you were at 8pm.

Perimenopause and menopause can cause sleep problems associated with a hormonal imbalance. Having your hormones checked and balanced will be the key to successful sleep and even a relief for hot flashes and irritability. Knowing and not guessing what your levels are is paramount to getting the right remedy. There can be herbal and natural supplements available to help restore your hormone balance. Even bio-identical hormone replacement can be very helpful in getting that life changing sleep.

When your brain just won't shut off you may have too much electrical noise with your brain waves. Above we spoke about Slow Wave Sleep(SWS). Delta and Theta are your slow waves, they are most active when you sleep. When slow waves are firing too fast you will have difficulty relaxing enough to sleep. Having a brain map with special Neurofeedback equipment to assess brain waves may be the key. This is something we do in our office. Contact me if you think this is relative to you.

You can practice Meditation, Yoga or Tai Chi to learn relaxation techniques for your mind. Sleep with a notebook beside your bed to jot down any life changing ideas you get while laying there. Don't exercise too late in the day. Ideally exercise should be done in the morning hours to give you lasting energy throughout the day.

Some sleep aids may be useful. However you should check with your doctor before taking any supplements or herbs. A sleepy time tea with Valerian root can calm the mind and help you relax before bed. If you take melatonin to help induce sleep don't take too much and not all the time. Melatonin is something your body makes naturally and if you take it the natural production can go down. Suggested dose is no more than 3 mg.before bed.

Coffee and tea can cause problems even if you only have them in the morning.  Some people can't clear caffeine from their systems. You may be one of them. Try eliminating all caffeine and chocolate completely and see if you sleep more soundly.  Alcohol is something many people use to relax before bed. It can  initially calm you down and help you relax but the effects wear off and you are more restless and awake a few hours into your slumber.

This is by no means a complete report about sleep but trying these things may start you on the right path. Get that restful, restorative sleep that will help you get rid of those Alzheimer's plaques. At the very least make sleep a priority and help put an end to your memory loss.

I hope you learned something or are empowered to dig out the cause of your sleeping difficulty. Please leave me a comment about your strategies for getting good sleep. Share this post on your social media or email it to a friend or family member who will benefit from this information.



1)Physiol Rev. 2013 Apr; 93(2): 681–766.

doi:  10.1152/physrev.00032.2012PMCID: PMC3768102 About Sleep's Role in Memory

2)Jessen, N.A., Munk, A.S.F., Lundgaard, I. et al.

Neurochem Res (2015) 40: 2583. doi:10.1007/s11064-015-1581-6

3)MEDtube Sci. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2015 Nov 18.
Published in final edited form as:
MEDtube Sci. 2015 Mar; 3(1): 35–40.