Wenatex Blog :: Healthy Sleep for a Better Life

Sleep is now recognized as being critical for learning and memory, and now a new study into fruit flies offers clues as to why. From their research, scientists have identified three specific genes critical to the sleep-learning connection. One of these genes is the fly equivalent of a specific gene in humans linked to learning and memory, known as the serum response factor.

So, if you want to learn something new, do as the fruit fly does, get a good night’s sleep!

It is a fascinating article that can be found at http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20090403/sleep-clears-way-for-new-learning. Let us know what you think.

From the miracles we observe in nature, there is one that fascinates me every time I think about it, that is, the capacity of animals and, potentially, plants to adapt and change themselves because of something they have learned about their environment.

What is learning? In the excellent book, The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind, By Elkonon Goldberg , I think I found a simple explanation that we can share. He says the following: “ When the organism is exposed to a new pattern of signals form the outside world, the strengths of synaptic contacts (the ease of signal passage between neurons) and local biochemical and electric properties gradually change in complex distributed constellations. This represents learning, as we understand it today.” In other words, every time an organism learns something new, its network of nerves expands to create more complex and capable networks.

Did you know that one of the vital times when this expansion of brain networks takes place is when we sleep? Therefore, if sleep is interrupted for any reason, like for example, pain, illness, noise, bad position bad sleep position etc., learning will be impaired.

Be wise and have fun!