Causes of Memory Lapses

Forgetting someone's name or where you parked your car can be disturbing. It can be even more disturbing if forgetfulness turns into memory lapses, especially if the lapses become perpetual. Some of the causes of memory lapses can be corrected by taking better care of yourself, while others may need medical attention.

Fatigue

• Lack of sleep gives you the lack of everything, including a sharp memory. When the body is not well-rested, the brain cannot properly process thoughts. Your brain will become slow and sluggish, and your actions and thinking may become impaired. A study by Brown University researchers examined medical residents who were lacking sleep by putting them in driving simulators. The residents showed the same type of impairment displayed by people who were moderately drunk.

Stress

• Memory lapses can occur due to a massive workload or massive stress. When the brain is on a stressful overload, it often cannot process even the simplest information. The brain is too busy being bombarded to allow you to concentrate or focus, which in turn limits the amount of information you can retain or recall. The stress may be self-induced, such as excessive worrying about things beyond your control, or from an outside source, such as working long hours or a traumatic event.

Diet

• A poor diet, insufficient nutrients and vitamin deficiencies can also lead to memory lapses. All food we consume is turned into tissue, organs and cell membranes. When those structures are lacking due to lack of proper nutrition, the cells start sending faulty information along nerve pathways, thereby damaging the thinking process and ability to retain information.

Hormones

• Women about to undergo menopause, when their bodies are producing less estrogen, often suffer from memory lapses. Estrogen is a prime ingredient for many brain functions, including memory. It also plays a key role in language skills and word fluency, or the ability to remember words and names.

Drugs

• Excessive drinking and drugs will also mess up your memory. Folks who have consumed a lot of alcohol may not be able to process or recall information while in the drunken state or wake up not knowing what they did the night before. Sleeping pills, tranquilizers and pain killers are prone to creating memory lapses. The side effects of some heart medications, blood pressure medicines and antidepressants may also include memory lapses.

Warning

• If the lapses become persistent or more pronounced, there may be a more severe cause. An increase in memory lapses could be indicative of a stroke, brain infection, the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia, cancer or some type of head trauma. See a doctor if the lapses cannot be explained by simple causes.