Brain Booster to Prevent Memory Loss #4: Sleep

Healthy sleep patterns are crucial for cognitive performance, especially memory, the experts say. That means at least seven hours of sleep each night.

Sleep is essential to lower levels of stress hormones, to relax and refresh your entire body, and to literally turn off your brain. "There are parts of sleep where memory gets archived," says Doraiswamy.

While it may be tempting to take over-the-counter - or even prescription - sleeping medications, be aware that many may impair memory. Check with your doctor about side effects of sleep medications, as well as all other drugs.

Also, limit your intake of alcohol or caffeine if you experience sleeping problems, as it can disrupt sleeping patterns.

Brain Booster to Prevent Memory Loss #1: Exercise

Middle-aged Americans have long been spending millions to save their sagging skin, fix their crow's feet and plump their lips. Now, however, Americans are turning to brain boosters to fight an invisible effect of aging: memory loss.

The brain actually shrinks with age, neural connections slow down and fewer nerve cells are created, experts explain.

The process begins as early as your 30s and affects tens of millions of Americans, leaving them both frustrated and causing a loss of social impairment, self-confidence and loss of enjoyment of life. This can sometimes lead to self-neglect and serious health issues.

To derail age-related memory loss, many people have turned to brain exercises and brain games such as chess, crossword puzzles, reading aloud and computer games, that promise mental sharpness if you practice enough. There is still debate as to whether these activities really work. However, experts say that by taking the 5 steps we will discuss this week, we can certainly keep our brains younger.

Brain Booster #1: Exercise

Exercising is one of the most frequently cited activities to improve age-related memory.

"The one that has the most robust findings is physical exercise," says Molly Wagster, PhD, chief of the behavioral and systems neuroscience branch division of the National Institute of Agin.

And it helps if the exercise is aerobic, Wagster says. Studies show that older people who exercise - just fairly easy exercise of moderate walking a few times a week - outperformed their couch potato counterparts after six months.

Experts do not fully understand why exercise helps boost brainpower, but it could be for several reasons. First, exercise diminishes stress, a key drain of brain energy, and it also helps overall help. It also helps people sleep better, which improves memory and keeps the blood flowing to all parts of our body.

"In general, what's good for the heart is good for the brain," says Gary Small, MD, director of the UCLA Center for Aging and author of iBrain, which examines, among other things, the effect of the Internet on our brains.

Members at Mettler Center can workout in a variety of capacities, whether it is through a group exercise class, yoga session or lifting weights on your own. Just make sure to keep your exercise regular to reap the full benefits for your mind and body.

Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit #7 & 8: Log It and Be Aware

7. Log your activity

Write down the things that are important to you. It could be how much time you exercise each day, how many steps you walked, how far you ran or cycled, what you weighed, etc.

Some people make a game of it. you may have heard of runners calculating the miles it would take to run from their homes to Boston (home of the famous marathon), figuring how far they run in an average week and setting a target date for "arriving" in Boston.

Not sure how to start logging? Check out My Fitness Pal, where you can create a free online account and track your exercise and meals, helping you get to your health and fitness goals even faster. They also provide a recipe nutrition calculator, so you can figure out the nutrition in all your favorite meals, as well as a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), BMI (Body Mass Index) and heart rate calculator.

8. Be aware of all the indicators of progress

It's great when your clothes fit better, when you can lift heavier weights and when you can work out longer without feeling exhausted.

Make note of any and all progress indicators, including:

• Getting a good night's sleep
• Thinking more clearly
• Having more energy
• Realizing your muscles aren't screaming after you've helped a friend move furniture
• Seeing your resting heart rate drop over time
• Hearing your doctor congratulate you on improved cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, triglycerides or blood sugars

Healthy Ways to Reduce Stress #5: Sleep it off

Adequate, good quality sleep is important to so many aspects of our lives: keeping us at a healthy weight, giving us enough energy to work throughout the day, and yes, reduce stress. It's one of the most basic, easiest things you can do to improve your health and keep stress at bay - yet it is also one of the most difficult for many people to attain.

The amount of sleep you need depends on various factors - especially your age. Consider these guidelines by the Mayo Clinic for different age groups:

AGE GROUP RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF SLEEP

Infants 14-15 hours

Toddlers 12-14 hours

School-age Children 10-11 hours

Adults 7-9 hours

In addition to relieving stress, getting the recommended amount of sleep has other benefits, including:

• Your body and mind will have time to recover and make any necessary repairs
• It will help to reduce your stress levels
• Your mind will be sharp and you'll be able to think more clearly
• You'll have more energy
• Studies suggest it will help alleviate depression
• You'll look better from being well-rested
• Overall, you'll feel better physically, emotionally and mentally

If you're having trouble sleeping, you should try to take the steps to change your sleep habits. You may not be able to control or eliminate all the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create and environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep:

• Always go to bed and get up at the same time. It will be easier to fall asleep and to wake up when you get your body on a schedule.
• Your sleeping area should be completely dark so your body can product melatonin, which helps you get more restful sleep.
• Drinking alcohol or caffeine late in the day or evening can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Try to limit how much you drink before bed and stop drinking 2 hours before you plan to go to bed.
• Don't exercise for at least a few hours before bedtime. Exercise increases your body temperature and alertness, making it harder to fall asleep.
• Eat a small carbohydrate snack an hour or two before bed. The serotonin production will help you sleep more soundly.

Keep in mind that it is normal to have the occasional sleepness night. However, if you have trouble sleeping on a regular or frequent basis, see your doctor. You may have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. Identifying and treating the cause of your sleep disturbance can help get you back on the road to a good night's sleep.

For more information on sleep topics, disorders and more, visit the National Sleep Foundation.

Healthy Ways to Reduce Stress #5: Sleep it off

Adequate, good quality sleep is important to so many aspects of our lives: keeping us at a healthy weight, giving us enough energy to work throughout the day, and yes, reduce stress. It's one of the most basic, easiest things you can do to improve your health and keep stress at bay - yet it is also one of the most difficult for many people to attain.

The amount of sleep you need depends on various factors - especially your age. Consider these guidelines by the Mayo Clinic for different age groups:

AGE GROUP RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF SLEEP

Infants 14-15 hours

Toddlers 12-14 hours

School-age Children 10-11 hours

Adults 7-9 hours

In addition to relieving stress, getting the recommended amount of sleep has other benefits, including:

• Your body and mind will have time to recover and make any necessary repairs
• It will help to reduce your stress levels
• Your mind will be sharp and you'll be able to think more clearly
• You'll have more energy
• Studies suggest it will help alleviate depression
• You'll look better from being well-rested
• Overall, you'll feel better physically, emotionally and mentally

If you're having trouble sleeping, you should try to take the steps to change your sleep habits. You may not be able to control or eliminate all the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create and environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep:

• Always go to bed and get up at the same time. It will be easier to fall asleep and to wake up when you get your body on a schedule.
• Your sleeping area should be completely dark so your body can product melatonin, which helps you get more restful sleep.
• Drinking alcohol or caffeine late in the day or evening can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Try to limit how much you drink before bed and stop drinking 2 hours before you plan to go to bed.
• Don't exercise for at least a few hours before bedtime. Exercise increases your body temperature and alertness, making it harder to fall asleep.
• Eat a small carbohydrate snack an hour or two before bed. The serotonin production will help you sleep more soundly.

Keep in mind that it is normal to have the occasional sleepness night. However, if you have trouble sleeping on a regular or frequent basis, see your doctor. You may have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. Identifying and treating the cause of your sleep disturbance can help get you back on the road to a good night's sleep.

For more information on sleep topics, disorders and more, visit the National Sleep Foundation.

Healthy Ways to Reduce Stress #5: Sleep it off

Adequate, good quality sleep is important to so many aspects of our lives: keeping us at a healthy weight, giving us enough energy to work throughout the day, and yes, reduce stress. It's one of the most basic, easiest things you can do to improve your health and keep stress at bay - yet it is also one of the most difficult for many people to attain.

The amount of sleep you need depends on various factors - especially your age. Consider these guidelines by the Mayo Clinic for different age groups:

AGE GROUP RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF SLEEP

Infants 14-15 hours

Toddlers 12-14 hours

School-age Children 10-11 hours

Adults 7-9 hours

In addition to relieving stress, getting the recommended amount of sleep has other benefits, including:

• Your body and mind will have time to recover and make any necessary repairs
• It will help to reduce your stress levels
• Your mind will be sharp and you'll be able to think more clearly
• You'll have more energy
• Studies suggest it will help alleviate depression
• You'll look better from being well-rested
• Overall, you'll feel better physically, emotionally and mentally

If you're having trouble sleeping, you should try to take the steps to change your sleep habits. You may not be able to control or eliminate all the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create and environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep:

• Always go to bed and get up at the same time. It will be easier to fall asleep and to wake up when you get your body on a schedule.
• Your sleeping area should be completely dark so your body can product melatonin, which helps you get more restful sleep.
• Drinking alcohol or caffeine late in the day or evening can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Try to limit how much you drink before bed and stop drinking 2 hours before you plan to go to bed.
• Don't exercise for at least a few hours before bedtime. Exercise increases your body temperature and alertness, making it harder to fall asleep.
• Eat a small carbohydrate snack an hour or two before bed. The serotonin production will help you sleep more soundly.

Keep in mind that it is normal to have the occasional sleepness night. However, if you have trouble sleeping on a regular or frequent basis, see your doctor. You may have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. Identifying and treating the cause of your sleep disturbance can help get you back on the road to a good night's sleep.

For more information on sleep topics, disorders and more, visit the National Sleep Foundation.