From Cleveland Clinic
Sleep Awareness Week was earlier this month, but I forgot to include it in this newsletter; I was too sleep-deprived to remember.
Now that I’ve seen this story from Cleveland Clinic, my forgetfulness makes sense. I’ve had lousy sleep lately and that can impact memory.
I’m not alone. Reports show Americans are not getting enough sleep.
“One of the cool things about researching sleep and practicing sleep medicine is that we don’t know exactly why we sleep, but we have some really good ideas about the value and the utility of sleep,” says Alicia Roth, Ph.D., a sleep psychologist for Cleveland Clinic. “And one of those things is how sleep restores your brain, and we know that sleep is crucial for improving your memory or maintaining good memory.”
Dr. Roth says, when a person isn’t getting enough sleep, they will likely notice problems with short-term memory first. For example, they may forget details from a conversation they had. However, if the problem persists, it could start to affect their long-term memory too, like being able to recall past events.
Dr. Roth says here are all kinds of reasons someone may have trouble sleeping, which is why it’s important to get checked out. In some cases, they may discover they have insomnia or sleep apnea. Dr. Roth says research shows that sleep apnea can impact memory, attention, cognition, and ability to think critically and problem-solve.
So, how much sleep do we actually need?
“Everyone’s sleep needs are different. It’s important for you and your doctor to evaluate what your sleep need really is, and what amount of sleep, and what quality of sleep leads to you feeling refreshed but also feeling like your memory and your cognition are as sharp as they can be,” she explains.
Dr. Roth’snumber one sleep tip is to not force sleep. You can’t make yourself sleep. Instead, wait until you are truly sleepy before getting into bed.
