Sleep - Airport security checks teach us about brain health

My son’s 10 years anniversary was approaching and we were all very excited. 10 is a sign that he is growing to be a responsible and strong young man, and no longer a boy.

I was on a business trip in London, the perfect place to buy the Harry Potter chessboard. This is the exact replica from “The Philosopher’s Stone”, the first Harry Potter movie. Alongside the chessboard, I also bought a hoody – which he loves, a Gryffindor pen and statuette of Hedwig and other things. I filled the carry-on that I brought with me for the couple of days spent in London.

With great excitement and anticipation I squeezed everything in the luggage and headed to the airport. I went through the security check and passed the metal detection point, and I was waiting for my luggage which, for some reason, wasn’t coming through. At the same time I saw the vigilant and determined looks that security officers were giving to the X-Ray monitor.

Finally the bag came out and 2 officers grabbed it and take it asside. The lady officer asked: “Is this your bag, Sir?” “Yes…” I replied… going over the list of everything I had inside.
“Do you have anything dangerous inside?” She continued. The question worried me less the all the attention directed towards this exchange, by the other officers… her colleagues. “We will look inside… Is that alright with you, Sir.” 

As if I’m going to say no now… “Of course you can…” I replied. After all, I was myself curious to discover what dangerous thing I had in my bag. 

She pulled open the bag, we leaned over the content and I heared a sigh of relief leave the officer’s chest … “Oh, it’s a pen…” signalling to her colleagues to stand down.

On the X-ray monitor it looked like a knife…

I thanked the officer for her thoroughness and I encouraged her to keep up the good work.

The quick analysis of the sharp object, the swift signaling of the others, coming together her and the thorough scanning of my bag were a real masterclass.
I did not enjoy it at that moment, but I understood its intention.

This reminded me of the glymphatic system – a fluid transport system that accesses all regions of the brain, “responsible for replenishing as well as cleansing the brain”.

Similar to my bag being stopped at security and officers scrutinizing the content for questionable elements, thus the brain cleansing process - the glymphatic system closely inspects and filters out waste and neurotoxic substances.

And just as the officers who thoroughly checked my bag, we want to facilitate, through lifestyle choices – sleep, exercise, omega-3 etc, the best functioning of the glymphatic system.

“Lifestyle choices could therefore alter Alzheimer’s disease risk through improved glymphatic clearance, and could be used as a preventative lifestyle intervention for both healthy brain ageing and Alzheimer’s disease.”

The Sleeping Brain: Harnessing the Power of the Glymphatic System through Lifestyle Choices
Oliver Cameron Reddy and Ysbrand D. van der Werf *
Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan, 1117 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 

In this article, published on 17 Novembre 2020, they are also making the claim that, “regulating the glymphatic system” leads to “slowing or REVERSING neurodegeneration”.

A disturbance in the glymphatic system can lead to:

• A lessening of nutrient flow to brain cells
• A build-up of waste and neurotoxic substances
• Over time, this can lead to Neuropathology – Glymphatic Clearance plays a major role in Alzheimer’s pathology.

The lifestyle choice studied are: sleep and sleep position, alcohol intake, exercise, omega-3 consumption, intermittent fasting and chronic stress.

The most important aspect of maintaining glymphatic clearance is sleep and in particular, stage 3 of deep sleep. The second important thing is the sleep position, the glymphatic transportation being the most efficitent in the right lateral position.

There are many factors – internal and external; that can lead to maintaining a healthy sleep structure ( psychological, cognitive, emotional, behavioural; as well as: what we eat, the exercises we do, the environment we sleep in, of which the best is one of the most essential elements ). 

The best bed for you is the one that creates an environment that facilitates a continuous, restorative deep sleep that allows you to release the toxins in the brain, replenish it with nutrients and restore your mental clarity and autonomy.

Reversing neurodegeneration can have profound benefits for individuals, their families, and society at large. Here are some key benefits:

1. Improved Cognitive Function: 
   a. Memory, attention and learning capabilities, 
   b. Clearer thinking and problem solving, 
   c. Planning and decision making.
2. Enhanced Emotional Intelligence: 
   a. Self-awareness and emotional regulation, which leads to emotional stability.
   b. Stress reduction leading to enhanced capacity to empathise, communicate more efficiently and maintain positive relationships.
3. Extended Lifespan:
   a. Reduced Inflamation, Cardio-vascular and Neurological disease

References:

• Glymphatic System and Sleep:
o Xie, L., Kang, H., Xu, Q., et al. (2013). "Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain." Science, 342(6156), 373-377. Science
o Nedergaard, M. (2013). "Garbage truck of the brain." Science, 340(6140), 1529-1530. Science
o The Sleeping Brain: Harnessing the Power of the Glymphatic System through Lifestyle Choices; Oliver Cameron Reddy and Ysbrand D. van der Werf *
• Sleep and Emotional Regulation:
o Walker, M. P., & van der Helm, E. (2009). "Overnight therapy? The role of sleep in emotional brain processing." Psychological Bulletin, 135(5), 731-748. APA
• Stress and Sleep:
o Meerlo, P., Sgoifo, A., & Suchecki, D. (2008). "Restricted and disrupted sleep: Effects on autonomic function, neuroendocrine stress systems and stress responsivity." Sleep Medicine Reviews, 12(3), 197-210. ScienceDirect
•  Sleep and Lifespan:
o Cappuccio, F. P., D'Elia, L., Strazzullo, P., & Miller, M. A. (2010). "Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies." Sleep, 33(5), 585-592. PubMed
• Neurodegenerative Diseases and Lifespan:
o Mattson, M. P. (2004). "Pathways towards and away from Alzheimer's disease." Nature, 430(7000), 631-639. Nature