Sleep Problems Affect Learning – What Is Quality Sleep, and What Should You Do for Good Sleep?

Sleep is the brain’s process of rest and restructuring, during which the body is not controlled and consciousness is closed to external stimuli. Poor-quality sleep causes tiredness and negatively affects daytime performance and quality of life. In addition, without adequate deep sleep, the brain’s ability to learn new things weakens.

A new study on the effects of sleep on learning was published in Nature Communication. According to this study, insufficient sleep adversely affects the brain’s capacity to develop, change and adapt. The motor cortex, responsible for developing and using motor skills, is also adversely affected by sleep deprivation and cannot adequately support effective daytime activities.

Sleep Is a Dynamic Process with Different Stages

For humans and many other mammals, sleep is essential for processing and recording learned information and allowing the brain to rest. Sleep has different stages. One is rapid eye movement, REM (Rapid Eye Movements), and the other is NREM (non-REM), when eye movements are absent or slowed. REM is a highly active sleep period when the brain consolidates information learned during the day. Recorded electrical brain waves show that during REM, the brain is almost as active as during the day, sorting, cleaning and recording information. Dreams also occur during this period. Non-REM provides the deep sleep that truly rests the body and, even more, the brain. Muscles fully relax and rest during this process. The cycle continues approximately every 90 minutes until waking (toward morning, REM lengthens while non-REM shortens).

Sleep Is More a Need of the Brain Than of the Body

The brain takes in everything seen and heard throughout the day, almost turning into a rubbish dump. It therefore needs internal cleaning. This cleaning occurs during nighttime sleep as blood vessels suddenly widen and abundant fluid filtered from blood plasma repeatedly flows between brain cells. With sleep deprivation or inadequate deep sleep, these information-processing, cleaning and washing stages do not occur, and resulting brain problems make learning difficult.

According to the study discussed here, insufficient sleep reduces daily performance and makes learning difficult because, without deep sleep, synapses (communication points between nerve cells and other cells or nerve endings) cannot establish sufficiently healthy connections. This causes fatigue, poor concentration and lack of motivation, making new information harder to learn. One theory proposed by these researchers is that adequate, healthy sleep is indispensable for the brain’s metabolic and neural homeostasis, meaning balance.

Cutting sleep to work more, staying up all night to prepare for exams, and trying to learn new information day and night are inefficient and further tire the brain, causing other problems. Regular study and sleep schedules are therefore essential for productivity and health.

How Much Sleep Is Needed?

Sleep affects quality of life, and quality of life affects sleep. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person. Regardless of how long you sleep, if you feel refreshed during the day and do not constantly want to doze, your sleep can be considered sufficient. People with regular lives and better physical and mental health sleep more efficiently. Conversely, those with unhealthy diets or psychological difficulties such as stress and anxiety sleep longer and less efficiently. In some diseases, such as cancer , sleep problems may also arise from the disease itself or as a treatment adverse effect , and unfortunately, sleep disorders in cancer are among the most overlooked and therefore poorly managed adverse effects. Another example is depression . A person with depression wakes frequently, dreams excessively and tries to meet their sleep needs over a longer period than a healthy person. A healthy, regular life allows more efficient sleep in less time. With advancing age, however, sleep duration shortens and nighttime awakenings increase. Older people with sleep problems may also experience sleep-related breathing or behavioral disorders.

It is clear that healthy living brings more efficient sleep and a more alert mind. We should therefore care for our physical and mental health, eat healthily, remain active and find ways to reduce stress, a natural consequence of life (such as hobbies and a good social environment).

10 Recommendations for Good-Quality Sleep

• Avoid heavy dinners, meaning do not overeat. In fact, feeling genuine hunger 1 time daily will be very beneficial for both general health and sleep health.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine close to bedtime,
• At least do not keep your mobile phone beside your pillow while sleeping, and switch off nearby electronic devices,
• Drink calming teas such as chamomile and lemon balm,
• Read a book, 
• Try to sleep at the same time every day, 
• Do not fall asleep on the sofa; always sleep in your bed,
• Write down the thoughts in your mind and continue thinking about them the following day, 
• Yoga - practice meditation,
• Take a warm shower.