Good sleep key to clear brain fog
Neurologists share ways to deal with forgetfulness, improve concentration
If you’re finding it harder to concentrate, recall memories or grasp new information of late, you may be experiencing “brain fog” — a common and sometimes debilitating condition that has leapt into the spotlight following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brain fog is not a disease, but a constellation of symptoms working in concert to slow our mental processing speed, experts tell the Star. It’s usually a sign of deeper health issues, ranging from a lack of sleep to multiple sclerosis and, more recently, long COVID — a condition one in nine Canadians reported experiencing.
Dr. Atif Zafar, a neurologist and medical director of the stroke program at St. Michael’s Hospital, compared brain fog to operating an old cellphone with a full memory: “The phone is so slow, right? But it was so fast when I bought it,” he said, likening the frustration to how his patients have reported feeling.
Here’s what you need to know about the symptom, its many causes — and some potential ways to clear it.
What is brain fog?
At its core, brain fog relates to trouble focusing and recalling memories, Zafar explained. Common symptoms include forgetfulness, difficulties focusing or paying attention, a general lack of mental clarity and overall slower thinking, he said.
Patients have also reported dissociation, difficulties finding words and communicating and chronic tiredness or fatigue, studies show. Previously simple tasks may feel excessively difficult or impossible to accomplish.
Together, these lead to quantifiable cognitive deficits — about six IQ points’ worth in people experiencing long COVID, and an average nine points lost among those hospitalized with the disease, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“(You) will be able to feel it more when you are at work,” Zafar said. For example, “you are multi-tasking and you’re struggling and you’re thinking ‘A year ago I was doing it OK.’”
Common causes of brain fog
In order to treat brain fog, it’s crucial to address its root causes, says Dr. Matthew Burke, a cognitive neurologist with Sunnybrook Health Science Center. These are myriad and can range from daily habits to serious medical conditions.
One of the most common causes is a lack of sleep, he says — many studies have linked not sleeping enough to cognitive impairments. Specifically, it’s been associated with sleep apnea, and may be a sign of the condition or other sleep disorders.
Stress and poor mood, including disorders like depression, are also common culprits, Burke explained. It’s also “very commonly reported” among patients living with chronic pain.
It is also associated with many illnesses, particularly COVID-19 and long COVID. Zafar said roughly five to ten per cent of patients report experiencing it after a COVID-19 infection; given the prevalence of the disease, millions of people around the globe may be impacted.
Brain fog is also a frequent symptom of hypothyroidism, diabetes, anemia, stroke, autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis and more, he continued. Nutritional deficiencies, like in vitamin B12, may also be a factor.
Tips for treating brain fog
Some of the causes for brain fog, like multiple sclerosis, are not so easily treatable. But the more regular causes of the symptom like a lack of sleep or certain vitamins can easily be remedied — and may even improve brain fog linked to more chronic conditions.
“The No. 1 thing I personally have experienced help patients improve their brain fog symptoms, is good sleep,” Zafar said. “That’s the most important thing.”
His second recommendation for patients is regular exercise, at least 30 minutes-worth every day (but not too close to bedtime or it could impact your sleep).
Finally, he recommends mental exercise in the form of meditation. “What meditation does, is it forces the patient to control their thinking and focus. Some patients have a hard time doing that when they’re experiencing brain fog.”
All that being said, if you feel like you have brain fog but aren’t sure why, it’s important to see a doctor.
Zafar warns not to expect a quick fix — it can take three to nine months or longer for brain fog to heal after taking action, he said. Burke has seen patients recover in days or even hours after taking action, however: “everyone’s different.”