The IMPACT of lack of sleep on your BRAIN

Did you know that lack of sleep can effect your mental health? Lack of sleep can cause elevated levels of anxiety because your body hasn’t had the adequate amount of time to do a vital thing, rest and recover itself.

Research has shown that not getting an adequate amount of sleep can effect the way your brain processes memories. When your brain is running on low rest, memories that were meant to be stored in the long term database instead get stored into the short term database. Which results in forgetfulness/memory problems.

Your brains ability to adapt to changes (cognitive adaptability) also gets impacted. Blunting of feedback and rigidity of thought takes over instead, resulting in difficulty with learning new things and performing optimally.

Some researchers are also looking into the link between lack of sleep and dementia however the study still has yet to link it as a direct cause.

Actions you can take to improve your sleep

Talking with your doctor about developing better sleep practices can help improve your sleep and also rule out other potential health problems that could be masked as a sleep disturbance. Limiting consumption of caffeine and alcohol can cause sleep improvements as well. Better hygienic sleep practices can help improve your rest & restore processes within your brain & body.

What’s happening to our attention spans?

Are our attentions spans increasing or decreasing? According to a study done by Microsoft our attention spans have decreased by 8 seconds. This is a 25% decline in the past few years.

Our overconsumption of technology is the culprit. We are connected to an influx of internet information just at our fingertips. Our phones can be detrimental to our sense of well being and productivity. It has been noted as a distraction to work and also causing feelings of inadequacy and impulsive spending.

People are using their phones for escapism. To escape environmental stresses, only to end up with more stress from always being “in the loop”.  A fifth of people claim technology to be the source of their stress. According to a study done by the American Psychological association. Some also report the physical toll it takes, which includes elevated blood pressure (hypertension), neck pain, and wrinkles.

Over the recent years there has been an influx of content. This is called content shock where there’s so much content and information that it becomes unattainable for the consumption of it all.

Some are considering doing a detox from technology for the purpose of self care by cutting off notifications or deleting apps, or only picking up the phone for a couple of hours a day. These practices would potentially help curb the decline in attention spans.

FLASH FLOODING in the Bay, What you Need to know

The Bay Area has been hit with a series of flash flooding events and the area is currently under flood watch.

Moderate to heavy rainfall events have been the cause of these flash floods that have hit across the Bay. The National Weather Service has reported multiple flood advisories for the area.

California is being hit with both flood & drought emergencies

Two extremes on the opposite end of the weather spectrum.

Mega Flooding

Some experts warn/predict that in 40 years California may be hit with a mega flood that has the potential to cost a whopping 1 trillion dollars in damages to fix.

Climate Change

The cause of it? Climate change. Climate change increases the amount of rain water being held and released out into the air. Climate change has doubled the chances of California being hit with a mega flood. Some scientists describe the severity of the potential mega flood as something no one in existence has ever experienced.

Many California cities which house millions of residents are built on top of ancient flood deposits. Which place residents at an increased risk. That is a whopping 39 million residents in the potential path of a mega flood.

What you need to know

Avoiding flooded roads and taking heed to all safety advisories is crucial to staying safe during extreme weather events.