Sleep is important: Did you know the most powerful detox happens at night?

A good night's sleep is an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle. It is common knowledge that sleep is the time when the body heals itself after toiling through the day.

Taking to Instagram on 31 January, Dr Thomas Paloschi, a longevity medical doctor specialising in preventative age management and functional medicine, explained how it works, claiming sleep to be the most powerful "detox".

"Miss sleep and you don't just lose energy. You lose brain repair, memory consolidation, and emotional control," he cautioned.

The brain's clean-up system

While the body is in deep sleep, the brain activates a clearance pathway called the glymphatic system, noted Paloschi.

It is a nightly rinse cycle for the brain, which involves the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flowing through the brain to wash away waste products such as protein buildups and toxins. The waste flows through the glymphatic vessels to the body's circulation.

Why sleep is necessary

While the body is at rest while sleeping, the brain continues to function

However, there is one significant change: during sleep, the brain switches from performance mode to maintenance mode.

According to Dr Paloschi, chronic poor sleep is linked to:

• Higher risk for brain ageing and dementia
• Less emotional stability: more anxiety, low mood, irritability
• Weaker memory and focus
• Slower reaction time and higher accident risk

"Wake time creates micro-damage. Sleep is when the brain fixes it," noted the physician. "Skip sleep often enough, and the damage starts to accumulate."

Stages of sleep

Sleep runs in cycles of approximately 90 minutes each, and shifts between non-REM (rapid eye movement) and REM sleep. An individual gets more deep non-REM sleep in the first half of the night, and more REM sleep in the second half.

Therefore, if the sleep time is reduced from eight to six hours, one disproportionately loses more REM sleep, warned Dr Paloschi. A shorter sleep is not just less rest but less repair.

Different stages of sleep have different functions to perform.

• Deep non-REM: stabilises what one has learned (protects new memory)
• Stage 2 (spindles): upgrades learning capacity for the next day
• REM: integrates emotion with memory (less emotional "charge")

How to sleep better

Dr Paloschi shares the following guidelines to improve sleep quality:

1. Regularity (same timing)
2. Keep wake time consistent (±30 to 60 min)
3. Bedtime within 1 hour (approx) most nights
4. Continuity (less fragmentation)
5. Aim for sleep efficiency ≥85%
6. Frequent awakenings/snoring screen for sleep apnea
7. Quantity (enough total sleep)
8. Most adults: 7 to 9 hours
9. Avoid a chronic baseline of less than 7 hours
10. Quality (real deep and REM)
11. Don't cut the first half (deep sleep) or last 1 to 2 hours (REM)
12. Limit alcohol at night and late caffeine consumption
13. Sleep cave: cool, dark, quiet

"Sleep is biological maintenance. Miss it, and you miss your brain's nightly window for cleanup, repair, and recalibration," stated the physician, adding that it is as important as medicine.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Neither HT.com nor The Business Standard has independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.