Animal research has consistently shown that too much stimulation can retard development of the brain. Human research has shown a relationship between chronic stress and structural changes in the hippocampus and in memory function. Other research has shown the benefit of total sleep and deep sleep on brain function and information processing while lack of sleep relates to cognitive and emotional problems.

Interestingly, new experiences for rats can be stimulating to their brain producing new patterns of neural activity. However, the brain’s ability to encode this experience permanently tends to only occur when the rats take a break from their new exploration. Researchers suspect the same may be true for human learning.

Downtime seems to permit the human brain review new information and experiences that have been processed. Constant stimulation with no down time may prevent or limit the permanency of the learning.

A recent study at the University of Michigan found that people learned much better after a walk in nature compared to a walk in a dense urban environment. This suggests that processing significant amounts of information at one time may leave the brain fatigued. Multi-tasking may be an activity that taxes the brain more than we know or appreciate.

This understanding of the importance for “refreshing your brain” rather than “fatiguing it” sits within the context a huge increase in the use of entertainment and communication gadgets. Mobile games are typically played for 6.3 minutes and more game companies may be developing games that are shorter in duration. The concern is that people will not take breaks necessary for brain health promotion.

The same concern can be raised for time spent on the cell phone, the computer, the video game and other electronic gadgets. It is important to remember to give yourself some down time during the day and let your brain both rest and process the information and experiences it has experienced.