Your brain "wakes up" more than 100 times each night. That's normal — and maybe good
New research in mice shows that repeated, brief wake-ups at night are a normal part of sleep, and may actually indicate that you slept well.
«shifting brain patterns, fluids flushing in and out of the skull, and a drop in body temperature»
More from Big Think
Happiness and why “happily ever after” is a myth
Happiness can never last "ever after." Positive psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar explains how happiness can grow from painful experiences.
«So the paradox is that on the one hand, happiness is clearly a good thing. On the other hand, valuing it as a good thing is problematic.»
The 5-hour rule: How to turn a wasted day into a successful one
From Benjamin Franklin to Elon Musk, the most successful people in the world share one thing: they allocate time in the day to learning.
«5-hour rule.” In short, this is the rule where we spend one hour a day learning, reflecting, and thinking. The rule dates to Benjamin Franklin»
You are probably a naive realist. Try not to be
Naive realism is the tendency to assume that our view of the world is objective and accurate rather than subjective and biased.
«Biases do not necessarily lead to bad decisions because they help us make those decisions in accordance with our values and motivations.»
People who read live longer than those who don’t, Yale researchers say
A study by Yale researchers finds that reading books in particular returns cognitive gains that increase longevity.
«extended lifespan applied to all reading participants, regardless of “gender, wealth, education or health” factors, the study explains. That’s a 20% reduction in mortality created by a sedentary activity.»
An ancient technique can improve your attention span
Modern conditions have overwhelmed our brain's attention system, but research shows 12 minutes of mindfulness training a day can help.
«Similarly, a negative mood can signal that something is wrong. That unease can propel you to solve the problem and lift the emotional pall.»
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Sleep and your health: Everything you need to know
Our 24/7 society seems to be slowly robbing us of our slumber, but at what cost? Sleep expert, professor of neuroscience and author of Why we sleep Dr Matthew Walker explores all the ways sleep can…
«Eli Joseph Cossman delightfully noted, “the best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep”.»
Can lucid dreaming help us understand consciousness?
The ability to control our dreams is a skill that more of us are seeking to acquire for sheer pleasure. But if taken seriously, scientists believe it could unlock new secrets of the mind
«It has been hard to get someone to lucid dream in the noisy, constrained environment of an fMRI scanner. But it can be done»
Evolution Didn’t Wire Us for Eight Hours of Sleep
Chimps sleep nine hours a night. Cotton-top tamarins sleep about 13. What happened to humans?
The Human Mind Wasn't Meant to Stay Awake Past Midnight
Nocturnal wakefulness makes the brain inclined towards addictive behavior, suicidal ideation, and other high-risk situations.