It is no secret that sleep is the most important mechanism in regulating the processes of mental and physical health of a person.
Its deficiency, that is, lack of sleep, is fraught with serious problems for the brain. And this means for the body as a whole.
Recently, English scientists conducted a study that showed that people who do not get enough sleep are prone to problems with memory, thinking, and emotions.
The experts made these conclusions public in a scientific paper based on the results of the experiment, published in a specialized journal.
The trials involved 85 healthy adults.
All these people were trying to suppress memories that they didn't want.
Images of the brain were obtained using functional MRI.
Half of the participants had a good night's sleep before completing the task, while the other half stayed awake all night.
During memory suppression, people who had had enough sleep showed greater activity in the area of the brain that controls thoughts, actions and emotions than those who had not had any sleep.
In addition, those in the first category showed reduced activity in the area of the brain involved in memory retrieval when attempting to suppress unwanted memories.
According to scientists, the REM phase of sleep plays a key role in blocking unwanted memories.
But overall, they say, experience has shown that sleep plays a critical role in controlling not only memories but also current thoughts.
Author: Pavel Gospodarik