Memory Tips, November/December 2015 Back Issue

This is the November/December 2015 back issue of my Memory Tips email newsletter. To learn more about this free newsletter or to start receiving it in your email, please visit the Subscription Page. A list of back issues is available on the Back Issues page. I send out the newsletter once a month, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

So much to remember, so little time

Welcome to the NOV/DEC 2015 issue of my free Memory Tips email newsletter. Below are powerful strategies for improving your memory. Ready to boost your brain power?

Below are powerful strategies for improving your memory. Plus I've included links to free online brain games that can strengthen your thinking skills.

In this issue:

Sleep on Your Side to Remove Brain Toxins
Foreign Languages: Visualize to Memorize
Memory Loss after Heart Operation
FREE Brain Games: Improve VISUAL PERCEPTION skills

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My goal is to help you learn faster and remember more. That's why I created Memory-Improvement-Tips.com and this email newsletter.

The secret to a more powerful brain is two-fold: 1) improve your brain health, and 2) learn memory techniques. This can lead to more success and fulfillment in life!

Sleep on Your Side to Best Remove Brain Toxins

Everyone knows restful sleep is important for brain health. But new research from the University of NY at Stony Brook has found sleeping on your side is the best position for clearing your brain of toxins each night. Sleeping on your stomach or back makes it harder for the brain to perform nightly maintenance.

In the study, it was discovered beta amyoid and tau protein were cleared more efficiently from the brains of those who slept on their side. Beta amyloid and tau protien accumulate in the brain naturally during the day.

An overabundance of these substances has been linked to dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. That's why clearing them from the brain during sleep is so important.

Stony Brook researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize the brain's glymphatic system at work during sleep. The glyphatic system, only recently discovered, acts as the brain's "garbage truck." During sleep, this system washes away toxins, including beta amyloid and tau protein from the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF).

This study indicates you can maximize the ability of the glymphatic system to clean your brain each night by sleeping in a lateral position, that is, on your side. There's no guarantee you'll avoid dementia, but you'll likely improve the odds of keeping your brain healthy.

As a bonus, the side sleep position is also best for snorers or those with sleep apnea. That's because the side position keeps the airway more open.

The Stony Brook study did not mention whether the glympatic system functions better if you sleep on your right side versus left side. It may not matter.

However, the left side may ultimately be the best position of all to sleep. According to some research, sleeping on the left side can relieve heartburn. (Sleeping on your right side makes heartburn worse.)

Furthermore, sleeping on your left side improves blood circulation. This may be especially important for those with circulatory disorders or for pregnant mothers and their unborn children.

I don't know about you, but I'm going to sleep on my side (and mostly on my left side) from now on!

References:
- Could Body Posture During Sleep Affect How Your Brain Clears Waste?
http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/general/150804sleeping.php
- Web MD: Sleep Position and Sleep Quality
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/sleep-position-and-sleep-quality

Foreign Languages: Visualize to Memorize

Always wanted to learn a foreign language, but not sure you could memorize all the strange-sounding words? Well, memory techniques to the rescue.

Lately I've been learning Spanish, and of course I'm using the memorization techniques I discuss on my website. I thought you might like to see a few examples for inspiration.

One of the most useful methods is visualization and association. The idea is to take the way an unfamiliar word sounds, and think of a memorable image linking the sound to the actual meaning of the word.

The best way to appreciate the power of this approach to memorization is to see a few examples and try it for yourself. Following are 10 basic Spanish words and phrases, along with the mental images I created to help me remember their meaning:

me llamo - means "my name is". This sounds like my limo (I know it's pronounced me yah-moh, but my limo is close enough for the memory trick to work), so I imagine a limousine with my name on it. Note: Your mental image doesn't need to exactly duplicate the sound. Your brain will know the difference.
perro - means "dog". Sounds like pair-oh. I imagine a dog eating a pear.
quiero - means "I want". Sounds like key-arrow; I want you to shoot a key-shaped arrow to me.
tienes - means "do you have". Sounds like tennis ball; you are handing me a tennis ball.
puedo - means "may I". A figurine made of Play-Doh asking permission to do something.
tengo - means "I have". I have a tiny dancing couple, dancing the tango on my palm.
buenas noches - means "good evening". You are giving me a plate of nachos at sunset.
gracias - means "thank you". Someone gives you grass from the yard, and you say thanks.
salud - means "bless you". You are about to sneeze, and your friend hands you a salad to sneeze in.
la cocina - means "kitchen". The coach of your favorite football team is cooking in the kitchen.

A couple additional tips: If you're worried your brain won't remember which language these words are for, add an item to each image that reminds you of the language.

For example, the sombrero hat, to me, is associated with Spanish culture. So for the "perro" memory image, I might imagine the dog wearing a sombrero as he eats the pear.

Consider noun gender. In Spanish all nouns are male or female. To remember that "kitchen" (cocina) is female, think of the coach wearing a dress. You could also notice the "a" ending of cocina is a clue that noun is feminine.

The next time you have some vocabulary to memorize (whether foreign or not, it works for English vocabulary too), give the visualization and association method a try. With practice, I think you'll be surprised how well it works.

Memory Problems: Memory Loss after Heart Operation

Dave W., a visitor to Memory-Improvement-Tips.com from South Africa, suffered long-term memory loss apparently as the result of major surgery. It turns out this is somewhat common, although his memory problems seem to have lasted longer than most.

There is even a condition known as Postoperative Cognitive Decline (POCD) which appears to be a real risk associated with major surgery. This includes many surgeries where you undergo general anesthesia, such as cardiac surgery, and not just brain surgery as you might assume.

Do you or someone you know have any experience with cognitive problems following general anesthesia? If so, Dave would appreciate any constructive advice or comments.

Specifically, he'd like to know whether full recovery of his memory should be expected. I've tried to answer based on what I've read about this (see my comments on his story page), but feedback from others who have been through the experience would be very helpful.

To comment on Dave's story, visit his Memory Loss after Operation page on my website. At the bottom of his story, you'll see a "Click here to post comments" link. Thank you!

FREE Brain Games: VISUAL PERCEPTION

There are 263 free online brain games on my website, Memory-Improvement-Tips.com. You can play them online anytime.

The games are free to play. No restrictions, no logging in. Just pick a game, go to the game page, and start playing.

Below are links to three of the online games that strengthen visual perception, an important brain ability. Visual perception is the ability to quickly process information received visually, through the eyes.

Play these free games now to give your brain a boost:

Candy Crush Speed Challenge. Candy Crush is a popular web game similar to Bejeweled. Line up pieces of candy in three-in-a-rows to clear the screen. This is a free speedplay version. You have a 4-minute time limit to complete as many levels and get the highest score you can.

Crystal Clear. The object of the game is to clear out the colored crystals before the board becomes full. You make crystals disappear by moving crystals around until five or more of the same color are touching.

Original Tetris. This Tetris knock-off has all the charm of the first Tetris including the original music. If you've ever played Tetris before, this should be very familiar. Blocks of various shapes and colors drop one-by-one from the top of the game. Your goal is to completely fill rows of blocks at the bottom of the screen.

That's all for now, and thanks for reading. For lots more tricks and strategies to improve your brain, visit the Get a Better Memory page on my website.

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