What Really Happens In The Sleepless Brain? Inside The First Study To Track Thought Patterns Around the Clock, Learn Why It's Hard To Stop Thinking At Night

From etvbharat.com

New research has mapped how thoughts rise and fall across the day in people with chronic insomnia versus healthy sleepers

If you’ve ever spent a night lying in bed staring at the ceiling, wondering why your brain insists on replaying every dumb thing you’ve ever said since 2007, congratulations—you may have insomnia. According to Aussie researchers, the issue might not be that you’re “stressed,” “wired,” or “cursed by a vengeful sleep fairy,” but that your brain’s internal 24-hour rhythm is basically running on US time while the rest of you is trying to live in normal human society.

Published in the journal Sleep Medicine, this new research has mapped how thoughts rise and fall across the day in people with chronic insomnia versus “healthy sleepers.” Turns out your night-time brain may not be sabotaging you out of spite, but it may simply be confused about what time it is.

                                                                              Racing thoughts at 2 am? (Getty Images)

Insomnia affects roughly 10% of the population, and up to 33% of older adults. That’s millions of people lying awake thinking, “Why am I like this?” or “What is the correct age to start using night cream?” Many describe their issue as having a “racing mind” (adorable, because the last thing any of us are doing at 2 am is winning a race).

Scientists have long suspected something called “cognitive hyperarousal,” but the source of all this annoying mental activity has remained pretty mysterious. So the researchers did what scientists do best: they took 32 older adults, trapped them in a dim room, made them stay awake in bed for 24 hours, and gave them hourly homework (essentially the plot of a horror movie, except funded by a university!)

Sixteen participants had insomnia, and 16 slept like normal, functioning people. With all environmental cues stripped away (no sunlight, no caffeine, no Netflix) the team could observe the brain’s natural rhythms without interference. Every hour, participants rated the tone, quality, and controllability of their thoughts, which sounds like the emotional version of filling out a tax form. What they found was surprising: everyone’s brain has a circadian rhythm for thinking. Thoughts peak in the afternoon and slump in the early morning. The brain is aware that 3 am is a terrible time to plan your entire financial future. But insomniacs’ brains don’t get the memo.

Healthy sleepers naturally shift into “night mode” like an iPhone screen. Their thoughts dim. Their problem-solving politely packs up and goes home. Meanwhile, people with insomnia are still mentally drafting emails and reorganising their spice rack… at 1:47 am.

Lead researcher Professor Kurt Lushington explains: “Their thought patterns stayed more daytime-like, even at night.” Translation: the insomnia brain is that co-worker who keeps scheduling meetings at unreasonable hours because “time is a construct.” Even more dramatic, cognitive peaks for insomniacs were shifted by 6.5 hours.

Imagine your brain deciding that 11 pm is the perfect moment to begin its afternoon productivity sprint. It’s like having a toddler inside your skull yelling, “Let’s play!” when your entire body is saying, “Let’s not.”

“Sleep isn’t just about eye closure,” Lushington says. “It’s about the brain disengaging.” And in insomnia, that disengagement is apparently happening half a day late, or not strongly enough at all. Co-author Professor Jill Dorrian believes this opens up new treatment possibilities: like using timed light exposure or daily routines to help reset the brain’s internal schedule.

Mindfulness may also help the mind stop behaving like a caffeinated squirrel. Current treatments focus on behaviour: like avoiding screens, caffeine, and existential dread. But these findings suggest a more tailored approach that works with your circadian clock instead of yelling at it. Basically, your brain may not be broken. It may just be… chronically confused.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945725005568

(Disclaimer: The information provided in this health article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional healthcare consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.)

https://www.etvbharat.com/en/health/study-sleepless-brain-reasons-for-thinking-enn25120202944

 

Tai Chi Might Equal Talk Therapy in Easing Insomnia

From usnews.com/news

Having trouble sleeping? New Chinese research suggests the age-old practice of tai chi might help. 

The study found it equalled talk therapy in helping middle aged people with insomnia regain restful slumber in the long term.

“Our study supports tai chi as an alternative treatment approach for the long term management of chronic insomnia in middle aged and older adults,” conclude a team led by Parco Sui, professor of kinesiology at Hong Kong University. They published their findings Nov. 26 in the BMJ.

As the researchers point out, chronic insomnia remains a frequent complaint among middle aged and older adults, with talk therapy — most usually cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) — a common treatment. Yet access to CBT due to costs and other issues can be a challenge, they note.

                                                                                                  HealthDay

Could the slow, gentle movements of tai chi also help?

To find out, Sui’s group recruited 200 Chinese adults aged 50 years and over already diagnosed with chronic insomnia.

All were able to walk unassisted and had no health conditions that might be impeding their sleep. None were shift workers, and none were engaging in any form of aerobic or mind-body exercise. 

The participants were divided into two groups. One group received CBT aimed at easing insomnia. Sessions were given twice per week for one-hour for three months. The other group practiced tai chi under the same schedule. 

Sui’s team used the Insomnia Severity Index to track any improvements in sleep immediately after the three-month interventions and then again a year later. 

The Index adds up scores on difficulty falling and staying asleep, waking up too early, being unable to go back to sleep and their impact on daily life. A lower score is better than a higher score.

Three months after finishing the interventions, the tai chi group didn't score as well as the CBT group: An average drop in the index score of just under 7 points for those doing tai chi, versus about an 11-point drop for people getting CBT.

However, the gap narrowed with time: Another 12 months later, declines in the index score had fallen by about 9.5 points among the tai chi practitioners and by 10 points for those who got CBT, the researchers noted. 

It’s possible, Sui’s group said, that tai chi’s benefits improved with time because many participants kept on with the practice after the three-month program was over. 

The researchers also pointed out that tai chi is easily accessible to many.

“Tai chi is perceived as a suitable exercise modality for middle aged and older adults, even among those who are inactive or unfit,” they wrote. 

The Hong Kong group concluded that “tai chi could be used as an alternative treatment approach for the long term management of chronic insomnia.”

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-12-01/tai-chi-might-equal-talk-therapy-in-easing-insomnia 

What Your Sleeping Position Says About Your Mental Health

From verywellhealth.com

Key Takeaways

• There’s little scientific evidence linking sleep position to mental health, despite online claims suggesting otherwise.
• Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, disrupting sleep and worsening conditions like anxiety and depression.
• Establishing a calming bedtime routine can help reduce stress and improve sleep quality.

Some TikTok creators claim that certain sleep positions, like the “mountain climber” or “flamingo,” reveal high stress or emotional tension.

While this sounds compelling, there’s little scientific support for that idea.

Does Your Sleep Position Mean Anything?

Bruce Tammelin, MD, medical director of the Providence St. Joseph Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, told Verywell that sleep position research is limited, noting the most-cited paper dates back to the 1970s.

Current research instead focuses on sleep quality and its link to physical and mental health. One study found that sleeping on your side may help the brain clear waste, possibly lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Still, experts say the strongest connection lies between stress and sleep: each can worsen the other, regardless of how you sleep.

                                                                                                               Andrii Lysenko / Getty Images

How Does Stress Affect Your Sleep?

When you are under stress, your body responds by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which releases cortisol, a critical hormone in managing your body’s reaction to stress.

In addition to controlling our sleep-wake cycle, cortisol helps us regulate our metabolism and reduce inflammation. Prolonged, elevated cortisol levels or chronic stress can disrupt these processes, leading to inflammation, chronic pain, depression, and even the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Cortisol levels are meant to slowly decline throughout the day. When elevated cortisol levels persist into the evening, this hormonal imbalance interferes with the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps your body sleep properly. With time, these high cortisol levels can lead to sleep disorders like insomnia and exacerbate anxiety and depression.

This creates an unhealthy cycle in which stress leads to poor sleep, amplifying stress and making it even harder to sleep.

“If you don’t get highly efficient and unfragmented sleep, you can either have anxiety or depression,” Tammelin said. However, patients who receive treatment for their sleep problems often see significant improvements in their mental health, too.

Studies have found that many sleep disorders, including sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, narcolepsy, daytime sleepiness, and nightmares, are more common in people experiencing mental health difficulties.

Neurodivergent people, particularly those with ADHD, often face even greater challenges in getting quality sleep due to low melatonin levels at night, sensory issues, or a more active nervous system.

How to Reduce Stress Before Bed 

Certain night-time behaviours, like teeth grinding and covering your ears while sleeping may indicate nervous system activation, but they’re not necessarily a reflection of your daytime stress levels, Kyoungbin K. Im, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in sleep medicine and associate professor at UC Irvine, told Verywell.

They may actually be activations or reactions to physical stress at that moment. However, some sleep disturbances, such as sleepwalking, night terrors, and other movement-related disorders, are commonly seen in people under a lot of stress, said Im.

If stress interferes with your sleep, establishing a bedtime routine and incorporating relaxation techniques before bed can help signal your body that it's time to unwind.

Here are some ways you can help your body get the rest it needs:

• Keep work and daytime activities out of the bedroom
• Avoid anything stimulating within three hours of bedtime
• Practice progressive muscle relaxation before bed

With these simple modifications, you can create a more restful sleep environment and allow your body and space to rest and recover. 

https://www.verywellhealth.com/sleeping-position-mental-health-11852215

Sleep Is a Powerful Defence Against Alzheimer’s Disease

From sleepreviewmag.com

Deep sleep activates the brain’s waste-clearing system, reducing harmful beta-amyloid and tau build-up. Maintain your sleep to help maintain brain health

Key takeaways:

• Deep, slow-wave sleep drives the glymphatic system, which clears beta-amyloid and tau more efficiently than during wakefulness.
• Poor or fragmented sleep slows this clearance, allowing toxic protein accumulation that contributes to Alzheimer’s pathology.
• Beta-amyloid oligomers disrupt neuronal communication early, setting off a cascade that later enables tau tangles to spread.
• Sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea and insomnia can worsen protein build-up and should be treated proactively in at-risk individuals.
• Stable sleep routines, CPAP for sleep apnoea, and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia may help support long-term brain health.

Most of us think of sleep as a way for us to recharge, so we can focus better, feel better, and have more energy. But science has shown us that it is much more than just that. Sleep is not just rest; it is repair. During the deepest stages of sleep, the brain brings in its “cleaning crew,” a system that washes out the waste that builds up during the day. When sleep is poor or disrupted, this clean-up system does not work as well.

The Brain’s Nightly Cleaning Crew

In 2012, scientists discovered the glymphatic system, a kind of plumbing network that washes away toxins from the brain.

Here is how we think it works:

• Cerebrospinal fluid flows through the brain like a rinse cycle.
• It mixes with fluid between brain cells, picking up waste, including beta-amyloid and tau proteins, clumps of which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
• It flushes them out through channels that work best when we are in a deep, slow-wave sleep.

A 2013 study showed that beta-amyloid is cleared about twice as fast during sleep compared to wake. In other words, poor sleep does not just make you tired; it leaves your brain potentially soaking in waste.

Roles of Beta-Amyloid and Tau

Beta-amyloid and tau proteins are not bad guys by design. Under normal conditions, they play essential roles in brain health.

• Beta-amyloid helps regulate how strongly brain cells communicate by supporting learning and memory. It may also play a part in the brain’s immune defence, protecting against infections.
• Tau proteins act like scaffolding inside neurons, stabilizing transport highways (microtubules) that carry nutrients and signals within the cell.

The problem begins when the balance is off. In Alzheimer’s, beta-amyloid is either overproduced or not cleared effectively. Instead of staying soluble and functional, it forms small clumps called oligomers. These clumps block communication between neurons, disrupt calcium balance inside cells, and trigger inflammation. They gather into sticky plaques that irritate the surrounding brain tissue.

With tau, stress from amyloid build-up and inflammation causes tau to become hyperphosphorylated, which chemically alters it in a way that causes it to detach from microtubules. Detached tau misfolds and clumps together into “neurofibrillary tangles.” These tangles spread from cell to cell, shutting down the transport system and starving neurons.

Beta-Amyloid: The Spark

Beta-amyloid build-up starts the chain reaction. The most dangerous forms are the oligomers, the tiny clumps that form before plaques are visible. They disrupt synapses, trigger inflammation, and undermine memory circuits. In this case, you can think of sleep as your brain’s dishwasher. If you skip a cycle, the dirty dishes pile up.

Tau: The Wildfire

Once tau build-up starts to occur, it spreads. It chokes off communication between brain cells, causing widespread network breakdown. If beta-amyloid lights the match, tau is like the wildfire that spreads it. Together, they drive the destructive changes that define Alzheimer’s disease.

This two-step process of amyloid setting the spark and tau fuelling the fire drives the classic brain damage of Alzheimer’s, loss of synapses, shrinking brain volume, and the gradual decline of memory and cognition.

The Sleep-Protein Cycle

These protein build-ups can disrupt sleep. Poor sleep leads to less protein clearance, more build-up causes worse sleep, and worse sleep leads to even more build-up.

This vicious cycle can start years before memory loss appears. In fact, many people who later develop Alzheimer’s first notice changes in sleep, such as restlessness, fragmented nights, or vivid dreams, long before cognitive decline.

Why This Matters for Sleep Patients and Families

Sleep is not just a wellness hack. It is a core part of your brain health. Just like we check cholesterol and blood pressure, we should be paying attention to sleep.

• People who are at risk for Alzheimer’s should be screened for sleep disorders.
• Conditions such as sleep apnoea, insomnia, and disrupted body clocks are not just annoyances; they can worsen brain changes.
• Treatments such as CPAP for sleep apnoea or therapy for insomnia may help protect long-term brain health. 
• Even simple steps such as keeping a consistent bedtime, limiting caffeine late in the day, and reducing screen time before bed can make a difference over the years.

Whether you are protecting your own brain health or supporting a loved one at risk for Alzheimer’s, the steps are similar.

Patients can:

• Stick to regular sleep and wake times to keep the body clock stable.
• Build a calming bedtime routine, dim lights, avoid late-night news or screens, and give the brain a chance to wind down.
• Changes in sleep, snoring, frequent waking, or restless nights are worth mentioning to a doctor.
• Ask for sleep assessments during check-ups, especially if memory issues or a family history of Alzheimer’s are present.
• Seek evaluation and treatment for sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea or insomnia. Treatments like CPAP or cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia can improve both sleep and brain health.
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Caregivers and loved ones can:

• Encourage and support regular sleep schedules.
• Help create a quiet, restful environment at night.
• Watch for signs of disrupted sleep and share observations with healthcare providers.
• Advocate for proper sleep evaluations and follow through on recommended treatments.
• Offer patience and reassurance, since good sleep routines are easier to stick with when they are supported by others.

We do not have a cure for Alzheimer’s, but sleep offers something powerful, an everyday, natural defence system that can slow or even delay the earliest steps of disease. For patients, families, and caregivers, it is one of the most important investments in long-term brain health that we can make.

https://sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/sleep-whole-body/brain/sleep-powerful-defense-against-alzheimers-disease/