“Brain washing”​!

As I write you this, I am assuming you are a diligent adult who maintains their hygiene well 🙂

But let’s say you were on a remote camping trip and you were not able to shower well. After a day or two you may not notice much of a difference. But after more than that, you would definitely be able to tell. You would be uncomfortable; your skin may respond badly; and of course, you would start to smell.

If you do not clean your hair, it will feel dry and brittle and it will break. Or it may become saturated with oil.

If you do not clean your teeth, they will stain; your mouth will become full of harmful bacteria; and in the worst case, your teeth may even fall out!

Yes, it is a simple rule… if you want it to stay healthy, you have to clean it… often!

And your brain is no different!

Just as your body becomes weary and worn as the day goes on, toxins build up in your brain. These waste products interfere with your cognition. The buildup of certain wastes, called beta-amyloid plaques, is associated with the degenerative effects of Alzheimer’s disease. 

That is the bad news.

The good news is that you already have within you the tools you need to rid your brain of these harmful toxins…

You have probably noticed how miserable you are when you get little sleep. You feel cloudy-headed, unproductive, maybe even anxious or upset. It is difficult to hang onto thoughts; you cannot think clearly. You forget things quickly. You make more mistakes. And all you can think about is the next chance you will get to have some rest.

And the longer this goes on, the more these problems appear… and the more these issues show up, the worse they get. 

Of course, you are not alone. It is common knowledge that sleep refreshes us, and it has been for a long time. But what has not long been common knowledge is why.

In the last 15 years or so it has been discovered that there is an entire system in the body devoted to clearing out these toxins from the brain – called the glymphatic system. Cerebrospinal fluid moves through the brain’s blood vessels and flushes out unwanted beta-amyloid plaques.

And this system is most active when we are asleep!

In fact, not only does research show that sleep helps regulate the glymphatic system, it also shows that sleep is the only thing that helps keep the beta-amyloids at bay. A good night’s sleep is one of the best things you can do for yourself… and a night without it is one of the worst harms you can deal yourself.

How is your sleep? Are you “washing your brain” each night or do you struggle to practice good sleep hygiene? And how are you feeling throughout the day as a result?

My life changed the moment I discovered the significance of sleep and the kind of impact it can have on your memory, focus, and mood. I wish someone would have told me earlier what it could do for me… so that is what I want to do for you.

I have a few sleep strategies that can help you start your journey to living well.

But unfortunately, I’m all out of time for this week… so, you will have to keep an eye on your inbox for next week’s sleep habit improvement tips 🙂

And if you know someone else who needs that simple-but-significant shift, send them my email and let them know help is on the way.

But until then, make today your masterpiece!

Florina

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