Why Your Brain Needs Better Sleep to Function at Its Best

Not getting enough sleep affects more than just your energy levels. It impacts how well your brain functions.

When you don't sleep well, you might notice problems with focus, memory, and decision-making the next day - signs that your brain isn't getting the restoration it needs.

Research shows that sleep is essential for brain health, both for daily function and long-term protection against cognitive decline.

Let's talk about why sleep matters for your brain, what happens during different sleep stages, and how you can improve your sleep quality for better cognitive health with natural sleep aids like Sip2Sleep®.

Why Is Sleep Important for the Brain?

Sleep does much more than just rest your body. During sleep, your brain performs several critical functions:

It consolidates memories. While you sleep, your brain strengthens important memories and discards unnecessary information [1]. This process helps you remember what you learned during the day.

It clears out waste. Your brain has a special cleaning system that removes toxins and waste products. This system works primarily during deep sleep [2].

It regulates emotions. Sleep helps process emotional experiences and reset your emotional responses. This is why you often feel irritable after a poor night's sleep.

A 2022 study from the University of Bern found that sleep, particularly REM sleep, helps strengthen positive emotional memories while weakening negative ones. Researchers discovered that during sleep, the brain effectively "triages" emotions, which can be especially important for mental health.

"This bi-directional mechanism is essential to optimize the discrimination between dangerous and safe signals," explains Mattia Aime, lead author of the study published in ScienceDaily. This may help explain why disrupted sleep is so strongly linked to mood disorders and PTSD.

It enhances learning. Skills and information you encounter during the day are reinforced during sleep [3]. This makes learning more efficient.

It solves problems. Your sleeping brain continues working on unresolved problems, which explains why solutions sometimes come to you after a good night's sleep [4].

Also Read: Harvard Researchers Find that a Good Night’s Sleep Can Add Years to Your Life

The impact of sleep is so vital that researchers in Nature Neuroscience found that even one night of poor sleep can impair your memory accuracy by up to 40%.

What Happens in Your Brain During Sleep?

Sleep isn't just one state. It involves different stages, each with specific benefits for brain function.

NREM Sleep (Non-Rapid Eye Movement)

Stage 1: This brief transition from wakefulness to sleep lasts only a few minutes. Your brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing begin to slow down.

Stage 2: During this light sleep stage, your body temperature drops, and your heart rate slows further. Your brain produces short bursts of activity called sleep spindles, which help process memories.

Stage 3: This is deep sleep. Your brain produces slow delta waves. During this stage:

• Your body repairs tissues and builds muscle

• Your immune system strengthens

• Your brain consolidates facts and knowledge

• The brain's waste removal system becomes active

Looking for a natural way to sleep deeper? Try pairing our new pink noise machine with Sip2Sleep® for a simple, science-backed bedtime routine.

REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)

REM sleep typically begins about 90 minutes after falling asleep. During this stage:

• Your eyes move rapidly behind your closed eyelids

• Your brain activity increases, similar to when you're awake

• Most dreaming occurs

• Your body becomes temporarily paralyzed to prevent you from acting out dreams

• Emotional memories are processed

• Creative connections are formed between ideas

You cycle through these stages multiple times throughout the night. Each cycle takes about 90 minutes, with deep sleep dominating earlier cycles and REM sleep being more prominent later in the night.

What Happens to Your Brain Without Enough Sleep?

When you don't get enough sleep, your brain can't perform its maintenance functions properly. This leads to several negative effects:

Short-term effects

• Reduced attention span: You'll find it harder to focus and easier to get distracted.

• Poor decision-making: Sleep deprivation affects the prefrontal cortex, leading to riskier choices.

• Slower thinking: Your brain processes information more slowly when you are tired.

• Memory problems: You'll have trouble forming new memories and recalling existing ones.

• Mood changes: Without adequate sleep, you're more likely to experience irritability, anxiety, and stress.

• Decreased creativity: Problem-solving abilities and creative thinking decline significantly.

Long-term effects

Chronic sleep deprivation can have serious consequences for your brain:

• Accelerated brain aging: Research suggests inadequate sleep may speed up cognitive aging [5].

• Increased dementia risk: Studies have linked poor sleep to higher rates of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

• Mental health concerns: Long-term sleep problems increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

• Permanent brain changes: Extended periods of poor sleep may cause lasting changes to brain structure [6].

Also Read: Not Getting Enough Deep Sleep? Study Links 27% Higher Risk of Dementia to Poor Sleep

Research from the University of California shows that sleep deprivation increases the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain [7], a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. 

How Much Sleep Does Your Brain Need?

Your brain requires different amounts of sleep throughout your life. Each age group has specific needs based on brain development stages and cognitive demands.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides these research-backed recommendations:

Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours

Infants (4-12 months): 12-16 hours (including naps) 

Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours (including naps) 

Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10-13 hours (including naps) 

School-age children (6-12 years): 9-12 hours 

Teens (13-18 years): 8-10 hours 

Adults (18-60 years): 7+ hours 

Older adults (61-64 years): 7-9 hours 

Seniors (65+ years): 7-8 hours

Children and teens need more sleep because their brains are actively developing. During these critical growth periods, sleep supports the formation of neural pathways essential for learning and memory.

Also Read: How to Sleep Better as You Get Older

Adult brains require at least 7 hours to perform all necessary maintenance functions. Getting less means your brain might not complete its essential cleanup and memory consolidation processes.

The quality of your sleep is just as important as the duration. Six hours of uninterrupted deep sleep provides more cognitive benefits than 8 hours of fragmented, shallow sleep.

How Sleep Protects Your Brain

Recent discoveries have revealed two important ways sleep protects and enhances your brain.

The Brain's Nightly Reset

During the day, your brain forms new connections as you learn. If this continued unchecked, your neural networks would become overloaded.

Deep sleep solves this problem. Your brain:

• Prune away less important connections

• Strengthens essential connections

• Returns overall neural activity to a baseline level

• Prepares for new learning the next day

A May 2024 study by University College London researchers published in Nature confirms this process. Using zebrafish, they directly observed brain cells gaining connections during waking hours and losing them during sleep.

Professor Jason Rihel, the study's lead author, explains: "While the function of sleep remains mysterious, it may be serving as an 'off-line' period when those connections can be weakened across the brain, in preparation for us to learn new things the following day."

Interestingly, the researchers discovered this remodeling mostly happens in the first half of the night's sleep, suggesting each part of sleep may serve different purposes.

This explains why things often make more sense after a good night's sleep – your brain has reorganized its neural connections to strengthen important information and prune away excess neural connections.

The Brain's Cleaning System

Scientists discovered in 2012 that the brain has its own waste removal system called the glymphatic system. This system:

• Becomes up to 10 times more active during sleep.

• Removes toxins that build up during wakefulness.

• Clears out proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases.

During deep sleep, brain cells shrink, causing the space between them to increase by up to 60%. This expanded intercellular space allows cerebrospinal fluid to flow more efficiently and wash away waste products.

Research from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) found that this system is dramatically more active during sleep. Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who co-discovered this system, put it simply: "We need sleep. It cleans up the brain."

Her team found that toxic molecules like beta-amyloid (associated with Alzheimer's disease) disappeared twice as fast from sleeping brains compared to awake brains. This suggests that poor sleep might contribute to neurodegenerative diseases by allowing these harmful proteins to accumulate.

How Can You Improve Sleep for Better Brain Function?

These evidence-based strategies can help improve your sleep quality:

Create a sleep-friendly environment

• Keep your bedroom cool (65-68°F)

• Make it as dark as possible

• Reduce noise or use pink noise for consistent sound masking

• Use comfortable bedding

Establish a regular sleep schedule

• Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day

• Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep (needs vary by individual)

• Create a relaxing pre-sleep routine

• Avoid the snooze button in the morning

Manage daytime habits

• Limit caffeine after midday

• Exercise regularly, but not close to bedtime

• Get morning sunlight to regulate your body clock

• Avoid heavy meals and alcohol near bedtime

For those seeking a natural sleep aid without melatonin or prescription medications, Sip2Sleep® provides a gentle alternative. It contains Montmorency Tart Cherry and Rafuma Leaf extract, ingredients shown in clinical studies to support deep sleep.

Also Read: 5 Tips for Using Sip2Sleep® Before Bed

Unlike traditional and over-the-counter sleep aids, Sip2Sleep® works with your body's natural processes rather than forcing sleep. Simply place it under your tongue before bed (no water needed). Supporting deep sleep, it helps enhance the brain's natural maintenance functions.

Can Better Sleep Protect Your Brain as You Age?

Consistent quality sleep throughout life may help protect your brain as you age.

Research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that sleep patterns across your lifespan influence how well your brain ages [8]. People with healthy sleep habits typically show:

• Better preserved memory and thinking skills

• Lower rates of cognitive decline

• Reduced risk of dementia

• Better emotional regulation

• Improved overall brain health

A 2021 study from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) found compelling evidence linking sleep to brain healing, particularly after a traumatic brain injury. The research used MRI to evaluate the brain's waste-clearance pathways and found that poor sleep was associated with more brain damage.

"This study suggests sleep may play an important role in clearing waste from the brain after traumatic brain injury—and if you don't sleep very well, you might not clean your brain as efficiently," explains Dr. Juan Piantino, the study's lead author.

Sleep is preventative. Unlike treatments that address illness after they develop, quality sleep works proactively by supporting your brain's natural maintenance systems.

The Bottom Line

Both the quantity and quality of your sleep matter for brain health. By prioritizing sleep, you support both immediate cognitive performance and long-term brain health protection.

If you're looking to improve your sleep naturally, consider adding Sip2Sleep® to your evening routine. Its gentle, non-habit-forming formula supports your body's natural sleep-wake cycle without morning grogginess.

Learn more about Sip2Sleep® and brain health →

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider about sleep concerns, especially if you have medical conditions or take prescription medications.

References:

1. Wamsley EJ, Stickgold R. Memory, Sleep and Dreaming: Experiencing Consolidation. Sleep Med Clin. 2011 Mar 1;6(1):97-108. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2010.12.008. PMID: 21516215; PMCID: PMC3079906.

2. Natalie L. Hauglund, Mie Andersen, Klaudia Tokarska, Tessa Radovanovic, Celia Kjaerby, Frederikke L. Sørensen, Zuzanna Bojarowska, Verena Untiet, Sheyla B. Ballestero, Mie G. Kolmos, Pia Weikop, Hajime Hirase, Maiken Nedergaard. Norepinephrine-mediated slow vasomotion drives glymphatic clearance during sleep. Cell, 2025; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.11.027

3. Wilhelm, I., Rose, M., Imhof, K. et al. The sleeping child outplays the adult's capacity to convert implicit into explicit knowledge. Nat Neurosci 16, 391–393 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3343

4. Sanders, K. E. G., Osburn, S., Paller, K. A., & Beeman, M. (2019). Targeted Memory Reactivation During Sleep Improves Next-Day Problem Solving. Psychological Science, 30(11), 1616-1624. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797619873344 (Original work published 2019)

5. Kim T, Kim S, Kang J, Kwon M and Lee S-H (2022) The Common Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Human Long-Term Memory and Cognitive Control Processes. Front. Neurosci. 16:883848. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.883848

6. The consequences of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance Mohammad A. Khan, Hamdan Al-Jahdali. Neurosciences Journal Apr 2023, 28 (2) 91-99; DOI: 10.17712/nsj.2023.2.20220108

7. Samson, Kurt J.. “Disturbed Sleep Is Associated with Increased Amyloid-Beta and Long-Term Memory Impairment, Study Suggests.” Neurology Today (2015): n. Pag.

8. Spira AP, Chen-Edinboro LP, Wu MN, Yaffe K. Impact of sleep on the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2014 Nov;27(6):478-83. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000106. PMID: 25188896; PMCID: PMC4323377.