#sleep-and-neurochemistry

#sleep-and-neurochemistry

Due to alcohol being a depressant substance, this means that it slows down your central nervous system by calming the neurotransmitters that keep you alert. Alcohol can behave the same way sedatives do, by fixating on the two neurotransmitters in your brain known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate.

Rumination activates the default mode network (DMN) - the brain's self-referential processing system. This is the neural circuitry that fires when you're thinking about yourself in relation to others: your identity, your social standing, your mistakes. It's the brain asking, over and over, What does this say about me?

Sleep banking is essentially extending your normal sleep hours in the nights leading up to a known period of sleep deprivation. On the face of it, it appears unlikely banking sleep could counter the decreased alertness and other cognitive decrements that we experience when deprived of sleep, or stop that strong sensation we get when our body wants sleep.

Neuroscientist Karen Konkoly is a lucid dreamer. When she's asleep and immersed in a dream, she knows that she is, in fact, dreaming. One of her favorite things to do during these sleep sojourns is pose personal, even existential questions - probing the mysterious terrain of her own subconscious mind. Asa researcher who studies the human mind, Konkoly has read many scientific papers positing different explanations for why humans dream - and she's made it her mission to rigorously test them.

"I started getting into the frame of mind most people get sucked into. I worried, 'What's going on? Is there something wrong with me?'" he says. That fear of not being able to sleep is a phenomenon called "sleep anxiety," says Orma, who went on to become a specialist in insomnia treatment. Left untreated, that anxiety can prevent people from actually falling asleep. "The more you focus on it, the less chance you'll sleep, which then makes you more anxious. That's the cycle that spins," he says.

I tested AGZ's chocolate and mint flavors, which come with a frother, and you can blend the powder with water or milk, either warm or cold (although I think it tastes the best with milk, like a frothy hot cocoa). The drink doesn't taste overly sweet and has a nice, rich chocolate taste. The mix is melatonin-free, instead with adaptogens, herbs, and minerals, including magnesium, vitamin B6, L-theanine, ashwagandha, and calming herbs.

"We are sending our supplies all over the world," Andrew Goring, manager director of Lonsdale Health, explains. "Around the UK, obviously, but also to Australia, parts of Asia, Kuwait, Iraq. "

It's normal to feel sluggish during the winter. Cold temperatures and fewer hours of sunlight can mean less time outdoors and more time staring at our screens. For some people, these cold-weather habits may contribute to a sleep disruption, known as winter insomnia. This isn't a clinical condition, but it might begin or worsen during the winter months.