Sleep Deprivation Could Be Undermining Your Emotional Recovery
We all know sleep is essential for physical and mental health, but research shows it may also be key to protecting us from the memories we don’t want to keep. Scientists have found that when we’re sleep-deprived, we’re significantly less capable of suppressing intrusive or unwanted memories.
In other words, poor sleep could be making it harder for your brain to let go of emotionally charged thoughts.
The case for catching more Zzz's
Whether it’s a cringey moment you wish you could forget or something more serious like trauma-related intrusive thoughts, unwanted memories can be difficult to manage. And they’re especially persistent for people living with anxiety, PTSD, or depression.
This new study underscores that one of the most powerful tools for memory control may be something as simple (and often overlooked) as a good night’s rest.
The science behind it
A recent study looked at how sleep affects memory control:
- 85 healthy adults were asked to suppress unwanted memories while undergoing fMRI brain scans.
- Half had a full night’s sleep; the other half stayed awake all night.
- Those who slept well showed stronger activation in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for regulating thoughts and emotions.
- They also showed less activity in the hippocampus, which retrieves memories, suggesting better memory suppression.
- The more REM sleep participants got, the better they performed on memory-suppression tasks.
The takeaway
Your brain’s ability to manage intrusive thoughts depends on quality sleep, especially REM. While sleep isn’t a cure-all for mental health challenges, it’s a foundational piece of the puzzle. Prioritizing rest may just help you wake up with a clearer, calmer mind.