Full Capacity Living…
What Your Brain Has Been Trying to Tell You About Sleep
Yesterday morning on my hike, I came across a magnificent owl—alert, steady, completely in its element. It struck me how often we borrow the term “night owl” to describe ourselves… without ever questioning whether it’s actually true.
Because here’s the reality I see every day in my work:
Many of us aren’t natural night owls.
We’re just running on a wired, overstimulated brain that has forgotten how to power down.
The Thing I Was Never Taught
As a medical speech pathologist working with neurological populations for years, I was trained in brain function, recovery, cognition, communication…
And yet—no one ever taught me about one of the most important systems in the brain:
The glymphatic system.
I remember feeling almost embarrassed when I first learned about it. How had I missed this?
Dr. Nate Bergman, a functional medicine physician I was working with at the time reassured me:
“Don’t worry—this was only discovered a few years ago.”
Discovered in 2012 by Danish neuroscientist Dr. Maiken Nedergaard and her team.
That was about 9 years ago for me now. And since then, I’ve come to see this system as foundational to brain health, recovery, and aging well.
What the Glymphatic System Actually Does
Think of it as the brain’s overnight cleaning system.
- It clears metabolic waste
- Removes neurotoxins (including beta-amyloid think: Alzheimer’s type Dementia)
- Supports memory consolidation
- Resets the brain for the next day
But here’s the key:
It only turns on during deep sleep.
Specifically, it is most active during slow-wave sleep—the deeper stages of non-REM sleep that typically happen in the first half of the night.
This means:
- Going to bed late
- Fragmented sleep
- Missing those early sleep cycles
…all directly impact your brain’s ability to clean and restore itself.
The “Second Wind” That’s Actually Working Against You
I hear this all the time:
“I get a second wind around 8 or 9 pm—I’m finally productive then.”
It feels real. It feels energizing.
But physiologically? Not so much…
That “second wind” is often a cortisol resurgence. Very much the opposite of our natural circadian rhythm which will naturally produce melatonin at this time.
When we push past our natural wind-down window:
- Keep lights on
- Stay mentally engaged
- Scroll, work, organize, multitask
…we signal to the brain: “Stay alert. Stay on.”
The body responds by releasing cortisol to keep you going.
And the tricky part?
You can train yourself into this pattern.
Only about 10–20% of people are truly wired as night owls.
The rest of us? We’ve simply trained our brains to stay awake.”
Are You Actually a Night Owl?
True chronotypes do exist.
But many people who identify as “night owls” have:
- Conditioned late-night alertness
- Dysregulated circadian rhythms
- Learned patterns of stimulation at night
The good news?
You can untrain this.
Your brain is incredibly responsive to consistent cues.
Why We Need to Protect Sleep – Especially As We Age
As we get older: (and this isn’t 70 it starts earlier like 40’s)
- Deep sleep naturally declines
- The glymphatic system becomes less efficient
- Cognitive resilience depends more on recovery
Deep sleep (slow-wave sleep—the phase most tied to glymphatic activity) begins to gradually decline:
- Late 20s–30s: very subtle changes begin
- 40s: more noticeable reduction in deep sleep duration
- 50s–60s+: deeper decline, with more fragmented sleep
But this isn’t a cliff—it’s a slow, modifiable slope, not an inevitable crash.
So sleep isn’t just about feeling rested.
It’s about:
- Protecting memory
- Supporting cognitive clarity
- Reducing long-term neurodegenerative risk
Sleep becomes a non-negotiable pillar of brain health.
The 3 Most Powerful Ways to Improve Your Sleep
1. Honor Your First Window of Sleepiness
That moment you feel yourself getting tired at night?
That’s your brain opening the door to deep sleep.
Don’t override it.
2. Dim the Lights and Decrease Input Early
Your brain responds strongly to light and stimulation.
- Lower lights after sunset
- Reduce screens and mental load
- Signal safety and slowing down
3. Keep a Consistent Sleep Rhythm
Your brain loves predictability.
- Go to bed and wake up at similar times
- Anchor your circadian rhythm
- Let your nervous system trust the pattern
A Final Thought
That owl I saw yesterday?
Perfectly adapted to its rhythm. Clear. Calm. Precise. And it was about 6:45 a.m. so he wasn’t out of his early morning hunting phase.
Most of us are not built that way.
We are built for cycles of light and dark, activity and rest, output and restoration.
And when we override that long enough, the brain doesn’t just get tired—
It stops functioning the way it was designed to.
If there’s one place to start supporting your brain—whether you’re recovering, optimizing, or simply wanting to stay sharp as you age— Start with sleep.
Protect it. Honor it. Build your life around it. If my niece has read this far she knows…I don’t generally answer text messages after about 8:45.
Sleep tight Meg
Your brain is counting on it.
In best health,
Karen
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