18-22 YOUR BRAIN APPRECIATES YOUR EFFORTS

You’re probably trying your best to eat well, exercise and get enough sleep to keep your brain happy, but tiny tweaks could still give you a boost.

Finding a regular sleep routine is vital, but if you need to set an alarm to wake you, watch out. ‘Interrupting a cycle of sleep is just as bad for brain health as a lack of sleep,’ says brain scientist Dr Jill Bolte Taylor. ‘A typical sleep cycle runs between 90-110 minutes, so if you’re forcing yourself to get up in the middle

of a cycle you may have blown a cycle of rejuvenation for your brain.’

Work in cycles and calculate how many hours you need to sleep accordingly. If you want to get five cycles (based on 90 mins each) that would mean getting 7.5 hours sleep. So if you need to wake up at 7am, then aim to be asleep by 11.15pm. See sleepcalculator.com for more.

If you enjoy cardio workouts, don’t overdo it. Excessive exercise can lead to a tired brain and poor decision making.***