Dr. Gina Poe: Use Sleep to Enhance Learning, Memory & Emotional State | Episode 115
Main Takeaways
Sleep is composed of two stages, non-REM and REM sleep, which are present in all mammals, and the first four hours of sleep are critical for memory processing.
Sleep cycles last about 90 minutes, and growth hormone release happens most in the first deep slow wave sleep cycle, which is critical for physical recovery and development.
Sleep wearables are not 100% accurate in tracking sleep cycles, and people may feel biased about their night of sleep based on what their score says.
Alcohol suppresses REM sleep until it's been metabolized and removed from our bodies, and women with high estrogen or hormonal cycles sleep less but more efficiently.
REM sleep is essential for resolving emotions, and anti-depressants that inhibit REM sleep can prevent adaptive REM sleep needed to resolve emotions.
Sleep spindles are connected to learning and intelligence, and people with schizophrenia have few sleep spindles, which makes it harder to incorporate new information.
Glutamate is released in large amounts from a specific wave and spindles together, and REM sleep dreams seem random because P waves are randomly activated.
Lucid dreaming allows individuals to rewrite or change a variable in their dream to an extent, which could be useful for people who tend to have recurring dreams related to PTSD and lead to some path of recovery.
Trauma and PTSD can disrupt REM sleep, making it harder to learn new things and connect emotions to memories.
To improve chances of better sleep, individuals living with PTSD or traumatic events should avoid novelty and stress-inducing activities before sleep, try deep breathing exercises, calm down the sympathetic nervous system, and avoid sleeping when anxious or hyped up.
