12/24/2025
That’s why I tell the families that helping my residents get a good sleep at night helps them function better during the day. Unfortunately some needs help from medication in getting sleep at night.
While you sleep, your brain switches on a powerful cleaning system that works like a biological dishwasher. Scientists call it the glymphatic system, a network that flushes out waste products that build up during waking hours. This process becomes most active during deep sleep, when brain cells slightly shrink and create more space for fluid to flow. That fluid washes through brain tissue, carrying away toxins and metabolic waste.
Among the waste removed are proteins linked to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery helps explain why poor or fragmented sleep is strongly associated with memory problems, brain fog, and long term cognitive decline. Sleep is not just rest. It is essential maintenance.
Brain scans and laboratory studies show that the glymphatic system works far less efficiently when we are awake. During sleep, especially slow wave sleep, the system ramps up dramatically. Think of daytime as heavy brain use and night time as a full clean cycle that resets the system for the next day.
This finding has reshaped how scientists view sleep health. Quality sleep supports memory, focus, emotional balance, and long term brain protection. Skipping sleep means skipping the brain’s only deep clean.
