Nature Knows and Psionic Success

You may solve a problem better if you sleep on it In a new study, researchers found people actually might solve a problem better if they “sleep on it.” In fact, the researchers were able to improve problem-solving upon waking by manipulating a critical process during sleep. The study provides important information about information processing during sleep, as well as incubation for problem-solving—why we sometimes solve a problem better after a break. The research was conducted by a team from Northwestern University. It is known that people rehearse or ‘consolidate’ memories during sleep, strengthening and reorganizing them. It’s also known that this natural process can be boosted by playing sounds associated with the information being rehearsed. Because many tricky problems are solved by thinking of them in a new way, the team hypothesized that rehearsing unsolved problems during sleep would help people refine their memories of the problems, and improve their chance to solve them the next day. In the study, people attempted several puzzles in the evening while listening to specific sound cues. While they slept, a program presented sounds associated with half the puzzles they had failed in the evening. The following morning participants solved the puzzles that had the associated sound cues played overnight better, compared to the puzzles that got no cues. This shows the evidence that brain processing during sleep is helpful to daytime cognition The team says if people want to solve problems or make the best decisions, better to sleep on it than to be on Twitter at 3 a.m. The research is the first demonstration of actually improving problem-solving by targeting memories for unsolved problems for extra processing during sleep. It strengthens the suggesting sleep reorganizes memory, and suggests that problem-solving may benefit from sleep due to rehearsal and consolidation of […]

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People may actually solve a problem better if they ‘sleep on it’, according to a study which suggests that brain processing during sleep is helpful to daytime cognition. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, sheds light on information processing during sleep, as well as incubation for problem solving – why we sometimes solve a problem better after a break. "We know that people rehearse or ‘consolidate’ memories during sleep, strengthening and reorganising them," said Kristin Sanders, first author of the study and a doctoral student at Northwestern University in the US. "It’s also known that this natural process can be boosted by playing sounds associated with the information being rehearsed," Sanders said. The researchers hypothesised that rehearsing unsolved problems during sleep would help people refine their memories of the problems, and improve their chance to solve them the next day. In the study, people attempted several puzzles in the evening while listening to specific sound cues. While they slept, a programme presented sounds associated with half the puzzles they had failed in the evening. The following morning participants solved the puzzles that had the associated sound cues played overnight better, compared to the puzzles that got no cues. "This study provides yet more evidence that brain processing during sleep is helpful to daytime cognition," said Mark Beeman, professor of psychology and a senior author of the study. "In this case, if you want to solve problems or make the best decisions, better to sleep on it than to be on Twitter at 3 am," Beeman said. ADVERTISEMENT The research is the first demonstration of actually improving problem solving by targeting memories for unsolved problems for extra processing during sleep. It strengthens the literature suggesting sleep reorganises memory, and suggests that problem solving may benefit from sleep due […]

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Problem solving may benefit from sleep due to rehearsal and consolidation of problem memory. WASHINGTON: People may actually solve a problem better if they ‘sleep on it’, according to a study which suggests that brain processing during sleep is helpful to daytime cognition. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, sheds light on information processing during sleep, as well as incubation for problem solving — why we sometimes solve a problem better after a break. "We know that people rehearse or ‘consolidate’ memories during sleep, strengthening and reorganising them," said Kristin Sanders, first author of the study and a doctoral student at Northwestern University in the US. "It’s also known that this natural process can be boosted by playing sounds associated with the information being rehearsed," Sanders said. The researchers hypothesised that rehearsing unsolved problems during sleep would help people refine their memories of the problems, and improve their chance to solve them the next day. In the study, people attempted several puzzles in the evening while listening to specific sound cues. While they slept, a programme presented sounds associated with half the puzzles they had failed in the evening. The following morning participants solved the puzzles that had the associated sound cues played overnight better, compared to the puzzles that got no cues. "This study provides yet more evidence that brain processing during sleep is helpful to daytime cognition," said Mark Beeman, professor of psychology and a senior author of the study. "In this case, if you want to solve problems or make the best decisions, better to sleep on it than to be on Twitter at 3 am," Beeman said. The research is the first demonstration of actually improving problem solving by targeting memories for unsolved problems for extra processing during sleep. It strengthens the literature […]

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New Silverado Memory Care Community Now Serving Orange County BREA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct 16, 2019– Silverado has opened a new memory care community in Orange County designed specifically to maximize quality of life for as many as 70 people with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-impairing conditions. The new community in Brea is Silverado’s fourth in Orange County, California other communities include Tustin, Newport Mesa and San Juan Capistrano. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191016005846/en/ New Silverado Memory Care Community Now Serving Orange County (Photo: Business Wire) According to the Orange County Strategic Plan for Aging , adults aged 65 and older account for 14.3% of Orange County’s population, a number that is expected to increase to 17.3% by 2045. Silverado’s new Brea community is located in North Orange County at 149 W. Lambert Road, and already helping to meet the needs and challenges of this growing population. Under the expert leadership of Maria Kauten, a veteran Silverado community administrator and her experienced team of professionals, Brea is now open and accepting new residents. The two-story community features indoor space purposefully built to meet the unique needs of adults with memory-impaired conditions and features outdoor space thoughtfully designed to give residents the freedom to enjoy their natural surroundings. The overall design brings the first-in-class Silverado experience to residents and their families and provides the individuals we serve with dignity, respect and the best quality of life possible. “There has been intense interest for over a decade in building a Silverado community in North Orange County, and we’re thrilled to add Brea to our family,” said Silverado Founder and CEO Loren Shook. “It’s an exciting time for Silverado because we’re changing the lives of residents and families with innovative offerings like our internationally-recognized Nexus® brain health […]

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When people think of teachers they rarely think of horses when, in fact, horses are first-rate educators who can teach young children and teens a variety of useful skills that promote lifelong learning, success, and fulfillment. In 2017, a study conducted by the Tokyo University of Agriculture reported that children had positive physical and mental effects from horseback riding. The report stated that “the act of horse-riding could improve cognitive abilities in children. These are brain-based skills of which an improvement can lead to enhanced learning, memory, and problem-solving.” Many studies of children involved in horse programs show that they generally get better grades because riding increases their ability to focus and ignore distractions. This directly translates to learning, studying, and concentrating on a task. By interacting with horses, children can learn and subsequently apply these important skills to a variety of situations throughout their lives. Although Chris Brown’s son started riding a pony at 6 years old, he didn’t show much interest in horses. He rarely rode until his late teen years when he appeared to have an amazing “natural” ability to train horses. When Chris started receiving cancer treatments, his son took over, riding the horses on their ranch. Chris thinks his son’s riding helped him develop responsibility, independence, and confidence. His son is now in his 20’s and manages a cattle and horse ranch in Nevada of over one thousand acres. Horses teach kids perseverance and courage. One of the first lessons youths learn when working with horses is the importance of safety for themselves, horses, and others. This is critical because horses typically outweigh young riders by a factor of ten. Being conscious of safety procedures around horses teaches youths awareness of their actions and reactions, horses’ behaviors, consideration of others, and awareness of the […]

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Share on Pinterest Podcasts accompany people during long commutes, workouts at the gym, and downtime in the bathtub, among other places. If you’re wondering if that’s a good thing, it may help you to know that podcasts interact with your brain in the same way stories do. A 2016 study found that listening to podcasts stimulates multiple areas of both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Accessing information via the human voice can generate activity in parts of the brain responsible for memory , sensory activity, and emotion. If that’s not enough to get you listening to podcasts, we’ve compiled a list of some great ones. These health podcasts were chosen for accuracy of information, originality, and listenability. Podcasts are a modern, efficient way to increase your knowledge base about virtually any topic, including those that affect the health and well-being of your body, brain, and spirit. If you’ve got 15 minutes or more to spare, check them out. The Model Health Show Creator and host Shawn Stevenson does solo shows and interviews with experts about a wide range of health-related issues, including metabolism , financial health, stress, weight loss, self-empowerment, and brain health. No topic about the human body, brain, or the pursuit of achieving your best life is off-limits in this weekly podcast series. Stevenson’s easy-going style makes the information understandable and accessible — even if you’re multitasking. TedTalks Health The TedTalks Health podcast series features renowned, innovative experts discussing the latest medical breakthroughs, plus new takes on old topics you thought you already knew everything about. Each podcast was originally an onstage presentation at a TED conference, TEDx event, or TED partner event. Podcasts range in length from small-bite to full-length, so you can choose between those best listened to on long plane flights […]

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Two-thirds of young people experience levels of exam stress that mental health organisation ReachOut describes as “worrying”. Research shows high levels of exam stress can interfere with attention and reduce working memory , leading to lower performance. Early experiences of anxiety and stress can also set a precedent for mental-health problems in adulthood. But how we see stress can actually make a difference to the way it affects us. Research shows if we believe stress is a helpful response that will increase our performance in a challenging event, it can be a tool that works to our advantage. From good stress to bad stress Stress is a normal experience when we have a challenging event. We can experience stress when learning something new, starting a new job or being in a race. Our experience of “stress” is actually our body getting us ready to take on the challenge. A stress response is helpful as it can increase oxygen to the brain and improve attention, focus, energy and determination. The runner in a race needs to be “stressed” to compete successfully. The young person sitting in an exam room needs it too. Studies show people who are clear about their feelings are more likely to thrive on anxiety and stress and possibly use these to achieve their goals and find satisfaction at work. The runner needs stress to succeed, and so does the student doing an exam. Stress and anxiety can work for you. But they become bad when we evaluate events as a threat rather than a challenge and when we believe we don’t have enough resources to cope. Exams are often treated as a threat because there is potential harm or loss related to our self-worth, identity, and commitments, goals and dreams . If we fail, we think […]

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Whether you bake them to eat whole or make them into a pie, sweet potatoes offer a host of health benefits. These tasty tubers help everything from your belly to your heart. While many associate the health benefits of sweet potato to those of the regular white potato, the two really can’t be compared. Sweet potatoes contain nearly ten times the amount of vitamin A found in a white potato, and they’re known to help battle inflammation and fight cancer. Health Benefits of Sweet Potato Sweet potatoes contain a ton of nutrients. While the name sounds deceiving, these root veggies won’t cause your blood sugar to go haywire. Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber, and contain plenty of vitamin A, C, and manganese. They’re also a great source of vitamin B6, potassium, copper, niacin, pantothenic acid and magnesium. Here are 10 reasons you should start including more of these brightly-colored bulbs into your diet. 1. They Help You Manage Type 2 Diabetes According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 100 million Americans currently suffer from diabetes or prediabetes [ 1 ]. This is when your body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. It can also occur when your body doesn’t produce enough of the substance. Insulin is a hormone that governs how your body metabolizes glucose, a form of sugar it uses as fuel. Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include: Frequent urination: When your body stops using sugar correctly, it tries to expel the excess through urine [ 2 ]. Increased thirst: When you go to the restroom frequently, you grow thirsty as your body tries to replace lost fluids. Hunger: Because your body needs to metabolize sugar properly for fuel — but can’t — you feel famished. You don’t often lack calories, but rather […]

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There’s a strong argument for getting your basic nutrition from whole foods rather than taking a fistful of supplements each day. One reason for this is because whole foods contain blends of vitamins and minerals that enhance their potency. Single nutrient supplements like vitamin D, vitamin C, iron, and the like are less powerful without their “helper” nutrients. For example, you’ve probably heard that the yellow Indian spice turmeric is an antioxidant. It’s excellent for reducing inflammation, boosting brain health, and soothing arthritis. But did you know that adding some black pepper to turmeric dramatically increases your body’s absorption rate? (Meaning your body uses more of it.) If you add a little fat to this combination, like avocados or salmon, you can increase absorption even more. Below are a few more nutrient combos that can help transform your meals into powerful health boosters. Calcium and Vitamin D For your body to absorb calcium — which is important for strong bones and healthy nerves — it needs a dose of vitamin D. If you’re vitamin D deficient then there’s a good chance your body is not getting enough calcium, even if you’re supplementing. Calcium is found in milk and dairy, of course. And it’s also in green vegetables, leafy greens, fatty fish (like salmon, tuna, and sardines) and beans. Vitamin D is plentiful in seafood like oysters and shrimp, mushrooms, egg yolks, and foods fortified with vitamin D. Some examples of tasty food combinations that provide both nutrients are: Fatty fish and broccoli Eggs with a bit of cheese Leafy greens and beef liver Almond trout Sodium and Potassium In small amounts, sodium chloride (table salt) is beneficial. Unfortunately, there’s so much salt hidden in processed and packaged foods — even those we think are healthy — that we consume […]

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