In this way, REM Sleep silences the noise in our brain.
REM sleep and processing
Think about the last time something bad or annoying happened during the day. Maybe you had a near miss with a car on the highway. Or maybe you had an unpleasant conversation with your boss at work. At some point it happens to all of us, and that often creates a heightened level of focus and alertness that can be uncomfortable because it lingers long after the incident. Letting that slip away from you can be difficult. So how can we best do that? Recent research suggests that our Zzz play a big role in this process.
Silencing the noise
A 2019 study from the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience shows that there is a key to putting life's most unexpected and difficult twists and turns behind you.
When we experience an unpleasant event (a situation that scares us), a certain part of our brain (the amygdala) is activated, causing our brain to be fully focused. To better cope with these unpleasant events, this so-called "siren" then needs to become less sensitive, and that's where REM sleep comes in.
The study found that the participants in the study coped best with unpleasant situations when they had undisturbed REM sleep. Their brain circuits could actually adapt overnight, so in the morning, when they were presented with the same unpleasant experience as the day before, it did not affect them as much. This is probably because the amygdala was much less responsive.
Deal with tomorrow even better than today
What this means. It turns out that you are better able to have a "tomorrow without worries" after a night of good quality REM sleep. So if you're thinking about that nagging with your boss from the day before, you're much better able to deal with that when a new day comes. Another reason to get good sleep every night.
Want to see how much REM sleep you get?
Download the free SleepScore App and follow along tonight to see a breakdown of how much REM sleep you got, how you're doing compared to others your age and gender, and how to get more REM sleep! Try it for free tonight!
