Sleep and the Brain: What to Do, in Order
Sleep and the Brain: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
The role of sleep in memory consolidation, attention and long-term brain health. Sleep is when memory is consolidated and metabolic waste is cleared, which is why chronic short sleep affects cognition measurably.
Key takeaways
- Adult recommendation: 7-9 hours
- Memory consolidation: occurs during sleep
- Most useful single change: Protect the opportunity to sleep before optimising quality.
- Commonest mistake: Treating short sleep as a productivity strategy.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Protect the opportunity to sleep before optimising quality
- Keep a fixed wake time, which anchors the body clock
- Get daylight soon after waking
- Raise loud snoring and daytime sleepiness with a GP
Do not
- Treating short sleep as a productivity strategy
- Alcohol as a sleep aid
- Assuming daytime sleepiness is normal
The numbers behind the list
Those two lists follow from the published figures here.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Adult recommendation | 7-9 hours |
| Memory consolidation | occurs during sleep |
| Sleep apnoea | a common and treatable cause of poor concentration |
| Chronic short sleep | associated with impaired attention and memory |
If you change one thing
Protect the opportunity to sleep before optimising quality. It heads the list. If you take nothing else from this page, take that.
Where to go next
- Starting Out With Sleep and the Brain
- Your Questions About Sleep and the Brain, Answered
- Sleep and the Brain — the reference entry
- Cognitive Activity: What the Evidence Actually Says
- Epilepsy: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
See a GP if you snore loudly and wake unrefreshed, fall asleep involuntarily during the day, or have persistent memory or concentration problems. Sleep apnoea is common, treatable and frequently presents as cognitive difficulty. Do not drive when sleepy.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error on this page. We correct on the page and say what changed.
