![](https://naturalhealthresponse.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NHT-230313-1000x667-1-1000x300.jpg)
Sleep Hack Boosts Memory and Alertness
Sometimes you wake up from a deep sleep feeling groggy—even after a full night’s rest.
Have you ever wondered why that is?
No matter how many hours you’re in bed, you might not be getting the quality sleep needed to feel alert.
And that doesn’t just leave you feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus in the morning. It can have a negative impact on your memory or ability to learn.
Fortunately, THIS simple sleep hack can improve your alertness AND cognitive function the next day.
There are a lot of factors that go into a good night’s rest. Today I’m just going to focus on one of them:
DARKNESS.
Being asleep is NOT enough to gain all of the benefits of sleep.
Research has shown that even being exposed to a small amount of room light BEFORE bed can decrease the DURATION of melatonin by as much as 90 percent—and can SUPPRESS levels by about 50 percent.
Even after you’re asleep, if your brain detects just a small amount of light it can suppress melatonin.
This kind of ambient light could come from street lights, the TV, or light from your electronic devices.
Darkness is also necessary for keeping levels of cortisol low, which helps calm your brain at night.
So what is the sleep hack?
According to a new study, it’s wearing an eye mask to remove all light stimulation.
For the study, 89 patients wore an eye mask for two days and then did two days of testing.
During the control week they spent five nights sleeping without an eye mask, followed by two more days of testing.
The participants did BETTER after 5 nights of wearing a mask on:
- Learning performance
- Behavioral alertness
- Sustained attention
Ultimately, these results mean that sleeping in total darkness leads to better episodic memory encoding and alertness. In other words, your memory is better and you feel more awake.
A similar follow-up study produced nearly identical results. So we know these findings are solid.
EEGs revealed that wearing a mask led to longer slow-wave sleep time, which is likely responsible for the improvements in memory.
That’s because slow-wave sleep restores your brain’s ability to encode new information.
You don’t have to wear an eye mask to achieve these results, of course. But you DO need to sleep in total darkness.
P.S. There’s ANOTHER light-linked trick that can help you sleep well at night. But it’ NOT what you might expect. In fact, it has to do with exposing yourself to MORE light. I explain HERE in my earlier free report.
Source:
“Wearing an eye mask during overnight sleep improves episodic learning and alertness,” Sleep, 2022;, zsac305, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsac305
![Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.](https://naturalhealthresponse.com/wp-content/themes/health-child/images/author-images/Dr.RichardGerhauser,M.D..jpg)
Written By Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
For years he’s been the trusted doctor for celebrities, world-class athletes, and countless seniors looking to reclaim their health.
And now…for the first time ever… he’s making his medical breakthroughs available to readers all across America.
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D. is one of the most pioneering and innovative minds in medicine today – and he delivers cutting-edge cures each month through his Natural Health Response newsletter.
Natural Health Response readers get full access to Dr. Gerhauser’s protocols for chronic pain… heart disease… diabetes… Alzheimer’s… and even cancer. These are the very same treatments Dr. Gerhauser recommends to his own patients at his practice in Tucson, Arizona.
In addition to being a board-certified medical doctor, Dr. Gerhauser has earned two master’s degrees and has served as a clinical professor at the University of Arizona.
And as a physician at the world-famous Canyon Ranch, Dr. Gerhauser treated celebrities from around the world who paid dearly for the type of next-generation health information he provides Natural Health Response readers each month.
View More Free Articles
Mother Nature's Bone-Building Secret REVEALED
Mainstream medicine has peddled the same old song and dance about osteoporosis for years. Pop some calcium pills… do some jumping jacks… and cross your fingers that your bones don’t crumble like a stale cookie. But what if I told you Mother Nature has been hiding a bone-building secret right under our noses? And we […]
The INCREDIBLE Payoff for Delaying Diabetes
If you don’t know where your blood sugar levels stand, it’s time to get them checked. It’s estimated that one in three adults has prediabetes, yet 80 percent of these folks have NO IDEA they’re in this category. That’s a BIG problem because most people will develop type 2 diabetes within just five years of […]
The Biggest Dementia Risk Factor REVEALED
I’m sure you’re familiar with the Skeleton Dance song… “The foot bone is connected to the leg bone. The leg bone is connected to the knee bone…” It’s easy to think of our bones being linked because we can physically see them. What’s less obvious is that everything else about your health is JUST as […]
It's NEVER Too Late to Kick This Dangerous Habit
You’ve heard it a million times before: “Smoking is bad for you.” If you’re still lighting up, I bet you remember a time when smoking wasn’t just accepted—it was downright fashionable. Remember when you could smoke in restaurants, on airplanes, and even in hospitals? Heck, movie stars even made it look cool and sophisticated. Well, […]
The TRUTH About ED No One's Talking About
It’s a subject most men would rather sweep under the rug… erectile dysfunction (ED). But you’re not alone if you’re having trouble in the bedroom. In fact, ED affects up to 30 million men in the U.S. alone. However, popping a little blue pill isn’t the answer. ED drugs are often just slapping a Band-Aid […]
Don’t Let Muscle Loss RUIN Your Golden Years
For older women, muscle mass can take a nosedive after menopause. This means more than trouble carrying in the groceries. Over time, the decline in muscle mass can lead to mobility problems, balance problems, falls, and ultimately a loss of independence. Staying active is a critical piece of the puzzle. But now, researchers have discovered […]
The Bad Habit Causing Lupus
All autoimmune diseases are on the rise—but lupus is one of the worst. When the condition strikes, your immune system starts to attack healthy tissues. Lupus cases have increased by 60 percent in women and have increased six-fold in men over the past four decades. What’s driving this dramatic increase? Well, we might have found […]
SHOCKING Missing Piece of the Diabetes Puzzle Discovered
I’ve been saying for years that there’s MORE to type 2 diabetes than your weight—or even your diet. Sure, they play their part. But unless you’re adding in THIS missing piece of the puzzle, you could be increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes despite your best efforts to avoid it. And you’ll never guess […]
Ditch the Chips and DEFY Aging
Sometimes, you just want something to crunch on. The craving can send even the most health-conscious among us heading straight to the snack aisle. But before you reach for the potato chips—which can contain all kinds of harmful ingredients—I have a better idea. Try THIS crunchy, healthy snack instead of loading up ingredients that can […]
Is Aspirin DEADLY? (Get the Truth Here)
Old habits die hard… especially when we’ve been led to believe they’re good ones. We were told for years that taking an aspirin a day would lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. But for many, those were empty promises that came with a LOT of risk… and LITTLE reward. That’s why, if you’re […]