Instant Genius Why not getting enough sleep plays havoc with our emotions
8 snips
Nov 21, 2025 Dr. Bogdan Matei, a medical psychiatrist and master trainer for Hästens, delves into the critical connection between sleep and emotional health. He explains how sleep supports brain cleanup and regulates emotions, highlighting the chaos that lack of sleep can create in our emotional states. Using a factory analogy, he describes how chronic sleep deprivation leads to burnout. Dr. Matei also shares practical techniques like exercise and meditation to enhance sleep quality, thereby improving overall mood and mental clarity.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Sleep As The Brain's Night Shift
- Sleep clears brain waste and files emotional memories during REM, so missing sleep disrupts regulation.
- Without these processes the emotional threshold falls and reactive behaviour increases.
Brakes Off, Emotion On Overdrive
- Sleep deprivation weakens the prefrontal cortex's braking effect while the limbic system goes into overdrive.
- That imbalance removes consequence-awareness and causes irritation and impulsive reactions.
Reward System Goes Dim
- The brain's reward system (striatum) becomes less responsive after poor sleep, producing hopelessness.
- Reduced reward sensitivity amplifies sadness and helpless feelings over small losses.