Is There Any Relation Between Dementia, Alzheimer’s And Sleep?

By: Vaileria Dennis |

Research has already proven that getting enough sleep at night is essential for your overall health. It gives your body time to rest and repair any damage that may have occurred during the day and remove any toxins that might be potentially dangerous to your health. Studies are also showing that the quality of your sleep at night is also important, and it can even affect your health later in life. It seems that sleep may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and adults who get a good night’s rest can dramatically reduce their chances of developing these conditions later in life.

The relationship between sleep and your brain health

While research is still being conducted, early results do seem to show that the quality of sleep that you get at night can contribute to chemical changes in the brain that can lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is thought that adults who have trouble falling and staying asleep during the night have a greater chance of showing some of the signs associated with the early stages of these diseases, which can include confusion and memory loss. What is exciting for health care professionals is that there also seems to be little risk of complications when adults naturally try to improve the quality of their sleep.

How sleep affects your brain ?

One of the standard indicators of Alzheimer’s and dementia is a buildup of a protein called amyloid beta. This protein is thought to be responsible for the memory problems that are commonly associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and researchers are now finding that people who have trouble sleeping at night often show higher levels of certain chemicals that generally indicate the presence of amyloid beta. The same studies have also linked higher levels of the protein with dementia. What is exciting is that studies showed higher levels of amyloid beta in the brain before the onset of these diseases, which might give adults a chance to improve their sleep patterns and reduce their risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s later in life.

Results of the studies

Researchers tracking adult sleeping patterns have learned that if you spend most of the night tossing and turning you have a greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia later in life. This is also true for adults who suffer from sleep apnea, along with those who wake up frequently during the night. When you are sleeping your body has the chance to remove potentially harmful toxins, along with the proteins that can clog your brain and cause memory problems. What was surprising to researchers conducting the studies is that you don’t have to remember even waking up or tossing and turning during the night to increase your chances of developing issues with your memory.

Sleeping better at night

One of the positive aspects of these studies is that researchers have learned that the higher levels of chemicals in the brain that can indicate the presence of the protein can be detected 10 to 15 years before the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s. This, researchers hope, will give health care professionals and their patients time to improve their sleeping patterns. While it is crucial for the health of your brain to get a good night’s sleep, it is important that this happens naturally. The same studies that indicate the relationship between sleep and the health of your brain, also warn against using sleeping pills to solve the problem. The chemicals in the sleep aids can be just as detrimental to your health, and can end up causing even more problems.

If you suffer from sleep apnea or simply have problems staying asleep at night, your health care provider can help you work out a safe and natural method. Breathing exercises, along with reducing the amount of caffeine you drink while the day can make it easier for you to fall and stay asleep at night. Where you sleep, and the type of bedding you use can also affect your quality of sleep, and might need to be changed.

Summary

Getting enough sleep is essential for your overall health, and can prevent a broad range of problems. While it is not uncommon for an adult to suffer from a sleep disorder, it is important to treat it if you want to lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia later in life. If you do have trouble staying asleep at night your health care provider can help you work out a way to help you safely and naturally, and dramatically reduce your risk of developing problems with your memory as you age.

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Vaileria Dennis is a Health and Beauty expert. She works on behalf of ConsumerHealthDigest.com as a content coordinator for the categories Health and Beauty. She has written various articles on Beauty and Makeup. In recent years, she has had an opportunity to research about Solvaderm Skin care routine. She is always excited to share her ideas related to Beauty care and Makeup Tips.