Brain Health Challenge: Test Your Knowledge of Healthy Habits

Welcome to the Brain Health Challenge! I’m Dana Smith, a reporter at The New York Times, and I’ll be your guide.

To live a healthy life, it’s crucial to have a healthy brain. In the short term, it keeps you sharp and firing on all cylinders. In the long term, it can reduce your risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and stroke.

Practicing basic healthy behaviors, like eating nutritious food and getting regular exercise, is the best way to enhance your brain power and protect the longevity of your neurons. These types of lifestyle habits can benefit the brain at any age. While they won’t guarantee that you’ll never develop dementia or another brain disease, several clinical trials have shown that they can improve cognition or slow decline.

Every day this week, you’ll engage in an activity that’s beneficial for your brain, while we explore the science behind why it works. Some activities may offer immediate cognitive benefits, but the true rewards come from consistent engagement over time. Alongside the neuroscience lessons, we’ll provide tips to help you turn these actions into lasting habits.

To keep you accountable, we encourage you to complete this challenge with a friend. If you don’t have a challenge buddy, no worries: we’re transforming the comments section into a supportive community.

There are numerous fascinating ways your daily behaviors influence your brain. Take sleep, for instance.

Many studies have shown that getting a good night’s rest (seven to eight hours) is associated with better memory and enhanced cognitive abilities. This is because sleep, particularly REM sleep, is when your brain transfers short-term memories—things you learned or experienced during the day—into long-term storage.

During sleep, your brain also performs essential housekeeping tasks. The brain’s glymphatic system activates, clearing out abnormal proteins and other molecular waste, including amyloid, which is a significant contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. This accumulation of amyloid is one reason experts believe that individuals who consistently get less sleep face a higher risk of dementia.

What other behaviors significantly impact brain health? For today’s activity, we’ll test your knowledge with a quiz. Share your score with your accountability partner and in the comments below—I’ll be there too, cheering you on.

Welcome to the Brain Health Challenge! I’m Dana Smith, a reporter at The New York Times, and I’ll be your guide.

To live a healthy life, it’s crucial to have a healthy brain. In the short term, it keeps you sharp and firing on all cylinders. In the long term, it can reduce your risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and stroke.

Practicing basic healthy behaviors, like eating nutritious food and getting regular exercise, is the best way to enhance your brain power and protect the longevity of your neurons. These types of lifestyle habits can benefit the brain at any age. While they won’t guarantee that you’ll never develop dementia or another brain disease, several clinical trials have shown that they can improve cognition or slow decline.

Every day this week, you’ll engage in an activity that’s beneficial for your brain, while we explore the science behind why it works. Some activities may offer immediate cognitive benefits, but the true rewards come from consistent engagement over time. Alongside the neuroscience lessons, we’ll provide tips to help you turn these actions into lasting habits.

To keep you accountable, we encourage you to complete this challenge with a friend. If you don’t have a challenge buddy, no worries: we’re transforming the comments section into a supportive community.

There are numerous fascinating ways your daily behaviors influence your brain. Take sleep, for instance.

Many studies have shown that getting a good night’s rest (seven to eight hours) is associated with better memory and enhanced cognitive abilities. This is because sleep, particularly REM sleep, is when your brain transfers short-term memories—things you learned or experienced during the day—into long-term storage.

During sleep, your brain also performs essential housekeeping tasks. The brain’s glymphatic system activates, clearing out abnormal proteins and other molecular waste, including amyloid, which is a significant contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. This accumulation of amyloid is one reason experts believe that individuals who consistently get less sleep face a higher risk of dementia.

What other behaviors significantly impact brain health? For today’s activity, we’ll test your knowledge with a quiz. Share your score with your accountability partner and in the comments below—I’ll be there too, cheering you on.