Can deep sleep relieve stress?

Time does not stand still: scientists invent new methods of human research, create the latest drugs, as well as innovative diagnostic devices. But despite the development of medicine, sleep remains a mysterious and not always explainable process. Until now, no one can say with certainty about the necessary duration of sleep, because some argue that a healthy sleep should be no more than 8 hours, and the other part believes that its duration should be no more than 6 hours. However, it is absolutely known that during sleep our body is restored. But is sleep able to completely relieve a person of stress and anxiety? New research by scientists from the University of California will tell us as much as possible.

Scientists believe that REM sleep isnatural sedative if a person receives it every night. Sleep can reduce anxiety overnight, by reorganizing the connections in the brain

Brain activity during sleep

The latest research by California scientists,published in the journal Nature.com, confirm the information that a full night of sleep stabilizes emotions, and sleepless night causes an increase in anxiety up to 30%.

University of Berkeley scientists also found thatit is REM sleep that is best able to calm and relieve an anxious brain. REM sleep, which is also known to us as sleep with fast eye movement (REM or BDG), is characterized by a condition in which nerve vibrations become highly synchronized, and heart rate and blood pressure are lowered.

Thanks to the results obtained duringthe study, researchers have confirmed the presence of one of the strongest links between sleep and anxiety. The results indicate that sleep is a natural non-drug remedy for anxiety disorders, which are increasingly diagnosed not only in adults but also in children and adolescents.

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In a number of experiments usingfunctional MRI and polysomnography, scientists analyzed brain activity in 18 young people who watched emotionally exciting video clips after a sleepless night and after a full night's sleep. Anxiety level was measured after each session using a test known as anxiety assessment.

According to the results of a brain scan after sleeplessat night, a disconnection of the medial prefrontal cortex, which usually controls anxiety, was revealed, while the deeper emotional centers of the brain were overactive.

The study shows that sleepless night raises anxiety levels by up to 30%, while disabling the prefrontal medial cortex

After a full night's sleep, participantsstudies measured brain waves using electrodes that were mounted on their heads. The results of studies of "sleepy people" showed that the level of anxiety decreased significantly, especially for those who experienced longer BDG-sleep.

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In addition to laboratory tests,scientists conducted an online study in which they tracked 280 people, regardless of age. The study took into account their level of sleep and anxiety for four consecutive days. The results proved that the amount and quality of sleep that the experiment participants received every night predicted how anxious they would feel the next day.