SLEEP
How much sleep should you get per night?
Name two foods that are healthy for your Brain?
Green leafy vegetables like Kale, Broccoli, and Spinach have a great source of brain-healthy and brain-protecting nutrients such as vitamin k, lutein, folate, and beta-carotene.
Omega-3/ Fatty Acids that are found in salmon, trout, and sardines have high concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to help with cognitive function/performance. 60% of our brain is composed of fat containing omega 3s.
Berries are a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, and their flavonoids can help to improve cognitive skills including memory, and decision making.
Avocados have a great source of vitamins our brains needs such as C, E, K, and the B complex. Avocados can also help improve blood flow to our brains.
How much “regular exercise” should you get a week?
Recommended amount of exercise to keep your mind sharp is about 1hr a day. A few other examples of exercise are: dancing, walking, biking, swimming, or throwing a Frisbee.
What does your Brain feel like if you were able to touch it?
The human brain is very fragile. It has a consistency somewhat like jello: soft and squishy.
At what age is our Brain 80% the adult size?
A 2 year old’s brain is 80% of adult size. Which is why we have to protect our head during the development years.
What is the only mammal the delays or puts off sleep?
Humans. Humans are the only mammals that willingly delay sleep.All of the other mammals realize how important sleep is for good health, so they don't let it get compromised. Even though sleep patterns vary among species, getting some good shut-eye is a requirement for ALL mammals and most other animals.
What is the fattiest organ in your body?
The Brain is the fattiest organ in the human body, and the fat is super important for your Brain to be able to work well.
Why are friendships important?
Friendships or socialization can increase your sense of belonging and purpose? Friends can:
Boost your happiness and reduce your stress
Improve your self-confidence and self-worth
Help/listen in stressful situations
Put your problems in context to develop a stronger sense of meaning and direction
Increase feelings of security and help protect against stress
Ease the emotional impact of difficulties and offer new ideas about tackling them
Name one way to protect your Brain?
Wear a helmet, don't FALL, wear your seat belt, exercise (this helps with blood flow to your Brain)...
How fast do neurons send messages and information in your Brain?
Between 150-200 miles per hour. Sometimes, 280 miles per hour, which is faster than a Formula 1 race car which can reach 240 mph.
Name one thing that is part of a "wind-down" bedtime routine?
Keep a regular sleep schedule: Follow your natural circadian rhythm. Have a wind-down routine (bath, reading, listening to music). Keep your bedroom dark and avoid bright light, especially blue light, in the evening. Make your bed comfortable and inviting. Use a noise-blocking machine to minimize distracting noise. Use a natural light timer to wake your body in the morning.
True or False? You only use about 10% of your brain.
False! It is a myth that you only use 10% of your brain. You actually use all of it, even when you are sleeping.
Science has helped us to confirm that the brain is ALWAYS active.
Name one new skill you learned this week, that improved cognition?
Examples of Cognitive Stimulation:Playing cards/board game, a meaningful conversation with a friend, playing a musical instrument, attending a theatrical performance, gardening, mental exercises (puzzles, Sudoku), going out in nature, dancing, baking/following a recipe, learn a new language, teach a skill and move, move, move.
True or False? You are SOMETIMES too old to learn something new.
False. The brain can learn how to do new things at any age!
How many thoughts per day do we have?
70,000 thoughts on average. These thoughts are tied to our emotions, memories and movement.
How many "STAGES" of sleep do we go through when we are sleeping?
There are four sleep stages, including one for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep which is when we dream and three that form non-REM (NREM) sleep.
Stage 1 also called N1, normally lasts just 1-7 minutes.
Stage 2. During stage 2, the body enters a more subdued state including a drop in temperature, relaxed muscles, and slowed breathing and heart rate. At the same time, brain waves show a new pattern and eye movement stops.
Stage 3: sleep is also known as N3 or deep sleep, and it is harder to wake someone up if they are in this phase. Muscle tone, pulse, and breathing rate decrease in N3 sleep as the body relaxes even further.
REM. During REM sleep, brain activity picks up, nearing levels seen when you are awake. DREAM TIME
We require this every day to complete activities. Neurons in the brain generate a small amount of ________ when sending messages back and forth.
Power/electricity. The human brain can generate about 23 watts of power (enough to power a lightbulb).
You can practice something a million times, but your brain will stay the exact same. True or false?
Answer: False! The structure of your brain changes every time you learn, as well as whenever you have a new
thought or memory. The more you practice or do a certain action, the easier it becomes to do it over time.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
Neurons are cells inside the brain. On average, how many neurons do you have in your Brain?
There are approximately 86 billion neurons in the brain and are likely a similar number of glia, the support cells. It is difficult to grasp really large numbers, so when discussing how many neurons the average person has in their brain, people often compare it to the number of stars in our galaxy. However, the Milky Way has more stars (over 200 billion) than you have neurons in your head (around 86 billion—still large but not as large). Neurons have the important job of encoding and transmitting information all over the brain and the body, bringing information from the outside world to the brain, and sending information from the brain out to the body again
True or False? Electronic devices can keep you up at night after your bedtime.
TRUE: Electronic back-lit devices like cell phones, tablets, readers, and computers emit short-wavelength enriched light, also known as blue light. Fluorescent and LED lights also emit blue light, which has been shown to reduce or delay the natural production of melatonin in the evening and decrease feelings of sleepiness. Blue light can also reduce the amount of time you spend in slow-wave and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, two stages of the sleep cycle that are vital for cognitive functioning.
True or False? When you drink or eat something very cold and get what we call a “Brain Freeze” it is because part of your brain becomes frozen.
False. The sensory receptors in your mouth become very cold and it makes your head hurt. This is why it is known as brain freeze!
The upstairs brain has a dent that separates it into two halves, like an apple. These are known as the left and right ____________________.
Hemisphere. The left hemisphere controls speech, comprehension, arithmetic, and writing. The right hemisphere controls creativity, spatial ability, artistic, and musical skills.
Why do our brains allow us to feel fear? Why would feeling scared be helpful?
Fear/Feeling scared helps protect us from dangerous situations.
What mammal has the largest/biggest Brain on the planet?
The sperm whale, one of the biggest cetaceans in the sea. The sperm whale's head comprises 25 to 35 percent of its entire body length. The mature adult sperm whale's brain weighs an average of 18 pounds, and can grow to be nearly 500 cubic inches in size.