Everyone appreciates the well-rested feeling of a good night’s sleep, but do you know the other surprising benefits of sleep on the brain? Sleep plays a critical role in your physical health, mental health and overall daily brain function. Mental benefits of a good night’s sleep include:
Healthy sleep improves your memory
Memory is split into two general categories: procedural and declarative. Procedural memory is your ability to remember procedures, while declarative memory is your ability to recall facts or experiences.
Studies show that sleep can significantly improve both procedural memory and declarative memory. Good sleep can help you retain skills and more vivid memories. While you rest, your brain is cataloging all the new information it received that day. Without that time to relax and restore, less daily information is retained, adding up to memory loss over time.
Lack of sleep may increase your risk for depression
While the complexity of the relationship between sleep and depression is not entirely understood, studies show that the two can be strongly correlated. Depressed patients often have insomnia, and insomniacs have a much higher risk of developing depression.
If you’re experience lack of sleep regularly, you might be at higher risk for depression. However, depression can be triggered by a number of factors, so get more information here about local treatment if you feel you might be suffering.
Does getting more sleep make you smarter?
As with the construction of memory, regular sleep is critical to your brain’s ability to store new information. Brain activity experienced during the day is replayed by the brain at night while we’re asleep. These replays strengthen the brain’s ability to recall that information, which could mean that getting more sleep can improve problem-solving and other cognitive abilities.
How to improve your sleep and mental health
Since lack of sleep can be a contributing factor to many other health issues, misdiagnosis can be common. If you’re suffering from sleep deprivation and other mental health issues, please seek professional care.
With recurring sleep loss symptoms, you might be a candidate for a home sleep study at the Holiner Psychiatric Group. The home sleep study device will evaluate your sleep from the comfort of your own home, making the study a true representative of your sleeping habits. Learn more about our home sleep study services in Dallas and McKinney.