Helth

Lack of sleep in the night can severely affect your brain functioning!

Not getting a full night’s sleep can actually hamper your brain. Researchers actually observed  differences in brain function of people saying they have insomnia and those enjoying a full night’s sleep. According to researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the poor sleepers struggled in focussing part of their brain during memory tests. Other experts said the brain’s wiring may actually be affecting perceptions of sleep quality, the BBC reported. The findings, published in the journal Sleep, have shown how people with insomnia not just struggle to sleep at night, but it also has consequences for them during the day in terms of delayed reaction times and memory. The study compared 25 people who said they had insomnia with as many describing themselves as good sleepers. MRI brain scans were carried out while they performed increasingly challenging memory tests.
Sean Drummond, one of the researchers, said: ‘We found that insomnia subjects did not properly turn on brain regions critical to a working memory task and did not turn off ‘mind-wandering’ brain regions irrelevant to the task.
‘This data helps us understand that people with insomnia not only have trouble sleeping at night, but their brains are not functioning as efficiently during the day.’

Lack of sleep can be absolutely fatal. Recently Michael Jackson – the King of Pop was back in the news, after his former nurse Cherilyn Lee testified that the troubled singer was suffering from insomnia and was convinced that the propofol was the only cure for his condition. Jackson had so much trouble falling asleep that he actually wanted propofol – a powerful anaesthetic to get some shuteye! The testimony was part of a lawsuit filed by Jackson’s mother and children about his wrongful death. Lee claims that Jackson asked her to find him an anaesthesiologist who could help him sleep with the surgical anaesthetic propofol! Read more…  
Tips to sleep better:
Stick to your sleep time – Each one of one is unique, even with our sleep patterns. Some people feel refreshed with only 6 hours of sleep; others might need 9 – 10 hours. Know what your body needs. Fix up your sleep time accordingly. Always maintain regular sleep and waking up times to regularize your sleep patterns.
Visit the doctor – Your physician can help to review any drugs, medical conditions or stressful situations that may be causing your insomnia or making it worse.
Lifestyle management –  Maintain a routine that is not extreme. If your work demands it, balance it by other factors like diet and a healthy mental state. Meditation, creative visualization may help you be calmer and restful.
Daytime sleepiness – Stop those afternoon naps. Indulge in some physical activity that requires you to move about during that time.
Physical activity – Physical exercise or a walk before bed time is ideal for chronic insomnia. Team up with someone or even with soothing music to help you maintain it as a habit.
Diet – Have a healthy dinner, drink warm milk or herbal tea with camomile. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco to help you sleep quickly.
Pamper yourself to sleep – Warm bath with bath salts, massages, soothing music or chants, stomach rub or a hot water bottle can help.
Avoid any engaging activity  – Watching TV or reading a book just because you cannot sleep may often work against letting you sleep.
Do something monotonous – Count sheep or try to chant the alphabet backwards. Keep at it till you sleep out of sheer boredom.

Source :Helth.india.com