Why do we sleep? We sleep for repair, rejuvenation, and detoxification. Today we’re going to talk about how sleeping detoxifies the brain. The brain actually detoxifies while a person sleeps. This may be why people often wake up feeling groggy if they consume alcohol or eat junk food— because of the added toxins.
Detoxification occurs during the deep delta rejuvenating slow-wave phase of sleep. There is also an on/off mechanism that occurs, which increases and decreases oxygen and blood flow.
When there is a decrease in oxygen and blood flow, you have an increase in cerebrospinal fluid that’s circulating the brain. The cerebrospinal fluid basically helps flush out metabolic junk from your brain and detoxifies the brain. This could help prevent things like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The more you detox, the better your memory, focus, and concentration can be. What you eat also directly relates to this. If you’re also consuming things that help detoxify the body, it may help this situation.
It’s important to get enough sleep. Most people need 7-9 hours of sleep. Some people can get by with less.
How to support deep slow-wave sleep and detox the brain:
Dr. Eric Berg
08/31/2023
