Sleep Aids and their impact on Brain Health
Sleep tends to get more challenging as we age. In fact, sleep complaints are one of the most common reasons folks reach for medications or supplements.
And for good reason — chronic sleep loss affects mood, cognition, and overall health. Which makes it plenty easy to justify use of a sleep aid, or even the reliance on one.
However, sleep aids can impact quality of sleep and overall brain health.
So if you value the Āyurvedic perspective and modern neuroscience, here’s what they both say about sleep aids.
Both systems agree that sleep is when the brain restores, repairs, and clears waste.
In neuroscience, this happens via the glymphatic system.
In Āyurveda, this aligns with proper nighttime agni.
And yet, more sleep does not necessarily = better brain health.
Both Āyurveda and neuroscience emphasizesleep quality,especially deep, restorative sleep, not just total hours.
And disturbing sleep quality is the main issue with sleep aids.
Many common sleep aids — including both prescription sedative-hypnotics and widely used "PM" over-the-counter sleep medications — have anticholinergic effects,meaning they block acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is essential for memory, attention, and brain signaling.
In addition, many sleep aids can increase light sleep at the expense of slow-wave (deep) sleep.
So they might...
✅ help folks fall asleep
🟡 increase total sleep time
❌ but reduce deep sleep
And from an Āyurvedic perspective, sedation without restoration:
Aggravates vāta by forcing sleep without proper nervous system settling.
Dulls agni at night, reducing metabolic and tissue repair.
Allows āma to accumulate when digestion, detoxification, and sleep cycles are out of sync.
This can also show up as next-day grogginess, mental cloudiness, or feeling “unrested” despite having slept — which are classic signs of vāta disturbance.
From neuroscience, a 2025 clinical study found that:
Long-term use of sedative-hypnotic medications (like benzodiazepines or “Z-drugs”) is linked with poorer sleep quality, including increased light sleep and reduced deep sleep, which is the stage most tied to memory consolidation and brain restoration.
Separately, higher anticholinergic burden has been associated with confusion, impaired attention, and cumulative cognitive strain — particularly with ongoing or long-term use.
And, having shared all of that, there are also times when sleep aids can be useful.
Both systems invite short-term support when stress is high, the nervous system is dysregulated, or sleep loss is actively harming cognition.
Getting some sleep is better than none.
But sleep aids are rarely the full solution, and risk is closely tied to dose, duration, and overall nervous system load.
Both Āyurveda and neuroscience point toward addressing circadian rhythm, stress, inflammation, and metabolic health first.
My Cognitive Health S.M.A.R.T Goal on Sleep
Inside the Thriving Mind community, we regularly set and share S.M.A.R.T. goals for cognitive vitality. This helps keep us accountable, consistent, and allows us to measure progress. I wanted to share one of my own personal goals and encourage you to set some of your own goals, as well.
Specific
This week, I will intentionally support my circadian rhythm and calm my nervous system in the evenings so my brain can repair, detoxify.
Measurable
I will aim to be in bed by 10:00 PM and get 7.5 hours of sleep on at least 5 nights this week.
Achievable
Beginning 60 minutes before bedtime, I will step away from screens, dim the lights, and choose one soothing practice—slow breathing, gentle stretching, journaling, or a warm shower—to invite my system into rest.
Relevant
Restored sleep lowers cortisol, steadies blood sugar, supports hormonal balance, strengthens memory consolidation, promotes glymph circulation and brain detoxification, and encourages neuroplasticity—all core elements of the cognitive resilience we are cultivating together.
Time-Bound
I will practice this from Monday through Sunday, and check in at the next Thriving Mind session to reflect on what supported me most.