Lack of Sleep is a Factor Leading to Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a neuro-degenerative disease. It negatively affects memory, thinking, reasoning, decision making, planning and performing tasks, basically everything that involves the brain’s higher functions. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease leads to dementia. As harmful plaques and tangles destroy brain cells, brain size and density decrease severely in Alzheimer’s patients. You can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by living a healthy life style, including sufficient high quality sleep. During NREM 3 deep sleep the brain is able to cleanse itself, removing toxins, plaques and tangles. A recent study has shown that after only one night of missed sleep the concentration of such toxins in the brain was significantly increased. It has been known for sometime that poor sleep is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
What is the Root-Cause for Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s is caused by protein plaques and tangles. Beta-amyloid plaques form from leftovers of larger proteins. They are toxic to neurons. Tau protein tangles form from malformed Tau proteins coming together to form neurofibrillary tangles. The tangles are also toxic to brain cells. Over time plaques and tangles lead to cell degeneration and death. This erodes the brain from within.
Lack of sleep and low quality sleep are risk factors for the accumulation of plaques and tangles that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. For a long time it was not know why this is. A recent study has shown that Tau protein levels increase in the brain after only one night of lost sleep. Another new research study indicates that NREM 3 deep sleep - the deepest sleep stage - is linked to the brain being able to cleanse itself. During this deep sleep the blood supply to the brain is reduced. Instead cerebro-spinal fluid levels increase. This flushes out harmful mis-folded proteins, plaques and tangles.
How to Reduce the Risk of Getting Alzheimer’s
A generally healthy life-style helps prevent all kinds of problems, including Alzheimer’s. Sufficient healthy sleep allows the body to repair and heal itself, cleanse out toxins, re-build the immune system, repair muscles and bones and rid itself of harmful substances that accumulate during the day.