Nov
24

How Sleep Affects Our Memory and Brain Health

admin brain fitness 16 comments

Below are a few of the best links I’ve come across over the last few months on how sleep affects our memory and brain health. I hope you find them as informative and useful as I did.

Below are the links with article summaries:

When Sleep Suffers, So Does Decisiveness – A recent study, which included 49 U.S. military cadets, looked at how sleep deprivation affected thinking abilities which rely heavily on instantaneous, gut-feeling decisions. They found that even moderate sleep deprivation can cause an immediate loss of these abilities.

Lack of sleep harms brain health – Another great link with respect to the importance of getting adequate sleep for maintaining optimum brain health and fitness.

Why ‘Sleeping on It’ Helps – A recent study concluded that for certain kinds of decisions – those that are complex and where you have some expertise – “sleeping on it” may be more helpful than spending minutes or hours of conscious thought on it. The brain makes good unconscious decisions, when we let it.

Rule #7 Sleep well, think well –  Online link to useful information on the importance of sleep with respect to brain health and fitness found in the book “Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School How Sleep Affects Our Memory and Brain Health”.

Sleep & Nap – An excellent post detailing 14 great things we can do to help preserve, protect and enhance our gray matter. Number 5 deals specifically with sleep.

Healthy habits to improve memory – Getting enough sleep one of several healthy habits we can have in order to maintain and improve our memory.

Sleep Now, Remember Later – An excellent article which details how sleep affects our memory. Want a good memory, get enough sleep!

No sleep means no new brain cells – Wow..  A study suggests that missing out on sleep may cause the brain actually to stop producing new cells.

Have a Poor Memory? Then Try Sleeping On It – In humans, one particular study looked at memory recall with and without sleep. The study found that people who slept after learning the information performed best, successfully recalling more words than those who had not had sleep prior to being tested.

So there you have it.. A great excuse to go take a nap!

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Jun
14

Brain Health and Fitness News Links June 14th 2009

admin brain fitness 12 comments

Below are a few of the best links I’ve come across so far this month on the web with respect to brain exercise, brain games, memory improvement, anti-aging and general overall brain health and fitness. I hope you will find them as informative and useful as I did.

Below are the links with article summaries:

7 surprising ways to keep your brain young – Around the time we hit 30, our brains begin a slow, steady downward trajectory — or so popular wisdom would have it. In fact, according to a flurry of new reports, you can counteract age-related changes in the brain with a surprisingly simple regimen of activities guaranteed to nurture and fortify your mental muscle-power.

Experts reveal best ways to save an aging brain – Most people are worried about losing their memory as they age, and a new study shows it’s a valid concern: In fact, at 53 percent — more than half of all people — have at least a minor mental decline in their 70s and 80s, and about 16 percent develop more serious problems with memory and other mental functions as they age. What’s more, when the researchers took a close look at this group, whom they call “cognitive maintainers,” they found evidence that although genes or illnesses can increase the risk of memory loss, there are still many things you can do to save your aging brain.

Workouts to keep your Brain sharp – Like physical exercise mental activities are also necessary for every human being. There are several activities within your limit which can effectively make your brain strong & sharp.

The Truth About Energy Drinks – Do energy drinks really rev up your body and sharpen your mind? To help you separate the science from the sales pitch, we analyzed the claims and ingredients of five of the most popular potions on the market, and rated them from best to worst.

Inexpensive Magnesium Proves Impressive at Protecting the Brain – The latest feather in magnesium’s cap is its newly discovered ability to protect the brain and improve the neurological outcomes of infants and adults who have had oxygen deprivation to their brains.

Games and Fun – Stress results in increased cortisol, anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, and adverse bodily functions. One simple remedy for stress reduction is to increase the amount of fun in your life. Consumers indicate that two primary reasons they play online brain games are for stress reduction and mental stimulation.

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May
18

A Simple Yoga Exercise To Build Your Brain Power

admin brain fitness 70 comments

I recently stumbled upon an interesting Yoga brain training exercise that according to it’s developer can enhance ones brain function and fitness. It’s called SuperBrain Yoga and is being used by doctors and teachers alike to improve peoples thinking and mental function. Improved grades and increased mental focus among people who practice Superbrain Yoga are being reported, even among those with mental disabilities.

SuperBrain Yoga is essentially a form of acupressure and breathing technique used to balance both hemispheres of the brain and bring energy up to the brain. It was developed by Master Choa Kok Sui who has written a book on the subject. The exercise is easy to learn, takes only a few minutes to do and can be done by almost anyone, anywhere.

According to the book, Superbrain Yoga by Master Chao Kok Sui, a Superbrain Yoga pilot study conducted by doctors in New Jersey with children ages 5-to-9 years of age possessing a variety of neurological disabilities reported the following subjective results:

  • The children are more focused and ready to work.
  • The children are displaying improved emotional states.
  • The child displaying bizarre behaviors appears to have a normal behavior.
  • The memory and retention of new information appears to have improved.
  • The entire dynamic of the class has improved dramatically.

I’ve been practicing Superbrain Yoga myself for awhile now and can report improved mental clarity, focus and a feeling of calmness after each exercise. It’s great to do first thing in the morning or anytime you need a quick boost of energy.

The video below shows people performing the Superbrain Yoga technique and provides some great testimonials.

A few important points to remember when practicing Superbrain Yoga not mentioned in the video are:

  • Connect your tongue to your palate.
  • Face East
  • The left arm must be inside and the right arm must be outside (over the left arm).
  • Inhale while squatting down and exhale while standing up.
  • You thumbs should be touching the front part of your earlobes, index fingers behind the earlobes.
  • Perform the exercise 14-21 times, once or twice a day.

For more detailed information on Superbrain Yoga, you might also want to check out the book titled Superbrain Yoga by clicking here.

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Dec
10

Have a Poor Memory? Then Try Sleeping On It

admin brain fitness, how to improve memory, online brain games 4 comments

Our minds and bodies need sleep. Prolonged sleep deprivation has been shown to kill rats, flies, cockroaches and even humans.

Scientists have discovered that one of the many benefits sleep has is in memory improvement. In rats, certain brain cells that activate during their daytime exploration tend to reactivate during sleep. Scientists speculate that during sleep the brain reenacts waking activity in order to lay down lasting memories.

In humans, one particular study looked at memory recall with and without sleep. Forty-eight people between the ages of 18 and 30 took part in the study. All groups were taught the same 20 pairs of words in the initial training session. One group was taught the word pairings at 9 a.m. and then tested at 9 p.m. after 12 hours of being awake. Another group was taught the word pairs at 9 p.m. and then was tested at 9 a.m. after a good nights sleep. The study found that people who slept after learning the information performed best, successfully recalling more words than those who had not had sleep prior to being tested.

So, how much sleep is really required to keep our memory sharp?

“Long” sleepers who slumber more than eight hours a night and “short” sleepers who get fewer than seven hours of shuteye both report more sleep complaints than people who sleep in the “just right” zone of seven to eight hours, say Michael A. Grandner, B.A., and Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., of the University of California, San Diego. Their study appears in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. “Although it is unclear why long and short sleepers should have similar types of sleep complaints, these data challenge the assumption that more than seven or eight hours of sleep is associated with increased health and well-being,” Grandner says.

What can you do if you don’t get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep? Take a power nap!  The video below describes how taking a nap can help our memory.

The main point here is to make sure you get between 7-8 hours of sleep in order to keep our brains in top shape. If you you get less than 7 hours, feel free to take a nap!

To further improve your memory, click here to play free online memory games.

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