Evening Horrors That Are Harming Your Brain Health, And How To Combat Them

Most of us approach our evenings with one goal and one goal only – to relax in the best ways humanly possible. And, who can blame us after endlessly long days and ever-increasing work hours? But did you know that, as relaxing as they may be, there’s a risk your evening activities could be harming your brain health? 

Yes, you heard that right – the things we choose to do in our spare time can have a major impact on the speed of cognitive decline. Left unchecked over a lifetime, certain evening habits can, therefore, increase our risks of things like Alzheimer’s. 

These horrors are hardly what you want to think about when trying to chill out and enjoy your downtime, but avoiding certain things moving forward could mean enjoying your evenings and staying mentally sharp. 

In this article, we’ll help by considering the worst evening horrors harming your brain health right now, and the best tips to combat them. 

# 1 – The Curse of the Late Night

It’s midnight or gone and you’ve got up to be up just past seven. You know you should go to bed, but then you pick up your phone for a before-bed scroll and, before you know it, you’ve lost another hour. 

Unfortunately for you, studies have generally found that people who get less than seven hours of sleep a night are at a significantly increased risk of cognitive decline and health issues including dementia. 

Looking after your evening mind therefore means addressing sleep inconsistencies, which is a goal you can achieve through focuses like a reasonable, regular bedtime, and positive habits like a bedtime routine. This way, you can make sure you’re always getting at least seven hours. If quality sleep continues to be a problem despite these efforts, try things like avoiding electronics for at least an hour before bed, and avoiding stimulants like caffeine for at least a few hours pre-bedtime. 

# 2 – Night of the Living Lonely

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that sleep = cognitive health, but did you know that you can also do harm by failing to socialize enough? Admittedly, this isn’t too much of a problem if you work a highly social job but, if you mainly work alone, then sitting on your own every night could soon see your cognition struggling. 

This is because human minds are wired towards social interaction. Sitting alone every night can lead to the loss of crucial nerve connections, resulting in what experts call ‘brain fog’, which could also impact your ability to read social cues, empathize, and generally function in a social setting. 

Luckily, neuroplasticity means that it’s never too late to undo these changes, even after years of limited social interaction. However, doing so requires you to put yourself out there, and interact in small ways which might include simply spending a few evenings with a friend, reaching out to a partner you often sit in silence with, or even playing social games once you get off work, either in-person or online. 

# 3 – The Entertainment Exorcist

Does anything beat settling down for an evening of bingeing your favourite television show? Yes. Quite a few things considering that passive forms of entertainment like television are known threats to cognitive function. In fact, experts believe that watching excessive amounts of television (classed as over four hours a day), leaves you at a greater risk of brain-based disorders including dementia (28% higher), Parkinson’s (16% higher), and even depression (35% higher). 

In other words, while it might feel like a great evening comfort, your television habit could be harming your ability to function throughout the day, as well as having a cumulatively bad cognitive impact. 

This isn’t to say that you can’t still indulge in a great show, but this should always sit alongside more active evening entertainment. This could include jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, or a simple game of backgammon, all of which are noted for their cognitive benefits and mind-sharpening abilities. Equally, picking up a book sometimes instead of reaching for the remote could keep your mind sharper for much longer. 

Conclusion 

Evening horrors can have a notable impact on your mind over the years, and it’s better to make a change sooner, rather than waiting for problems to arise. As you’ve seen throughout this article, little changes can make a big impact in this sense and could see you staying sharp as a pin well into your later years. Simply start taking steps to avoid these horrors so that you can enjoy happier mind health in the evenings moving forward.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.