Studies have linked diseases such as Alzheimer’s to disruptions in sleep cycles, such as sleeping more or less than needed.
Maintain good hygiene dream It is essential to maintain a health favorable and reduce the risk of suffering from certain diseases .
In this sense, scientists have discovered Links between sleep and risk of developing dementia .
This term refers to conditions that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities details an article from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The most common form of dementia is dementia Alzheimer which could represent between 60% and 70% of cases, according to figures from the aforementioned organization.
According to specialists, In older adults, the risk of having this diagnosis has been associated with both sleeping little and sleeping more than the necessary .
This could be due to factors such as insufficient sleep causing changes in the brain or, conversely, an underlying brain health problem triggering alterations in the rest cycle.
However, they assure that There are other edges to consider .
How sleeping less or more than needed could increase dementia risk
Generally, it is considered that sleeping little means sleeping six hours or less by night.
The importance of sleeping lies in the fact that by doing so, cellular waste that accumulates during the day is cleaned, in addition to eliminating molecular waste explained the experts to New York Times .
Inside this waste A protein called amyloid is discovered, which is thought to play a crucial role in Alzheimer’s disease. .
Although this is produced in the brain during the day, Complications can arise when they build up into plaques which are described as sticky lumps.
Although it is unclear whether a little sleep is enough to cause a buildup, studies have been done. discoveries related to this topic .
Research published in Jama Neurology In 2021, he analyzed a sample of more than 4,400 older adults (aged 65 to 85) with normal cognition and concluded that Higher amyloid protein load was associated with short sleep duration .
Similarly, the authors see that “the duration of the to dream of 6 hours or less, or 9 hours or more, were associated with different cognitive performance deficits as well as with greater depressive symptoms, body mass index and daytime napping.
Sudha Seshadri, a neurologist and academic at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told the Times that Lack of sleep alone is probably not enough to cause dementia .
He clarified, however, that “It certainly appears to be a risk factor that increases the risk of dementia and perhaps also the rate of deterioration.” .
There are also sleep disturbances associated with a increased risk of dementia, such as sleep apnea .
This could be due, according to experts, to the fact that this condition disrupts patients’ rest .
Added to this is that tends to occur in people who are overweight or have diabetes, diagnoses that have also been linked with dementia.
On another side, Sleeping more than necessary may also be linked to an increased risk of dementia according to a survey by the magazine Neurology .
However, this seems to be happening more indirectly .
For example, if a person tends to stay in bed more than nine hours a night or takes many naps during the day, this could be a sign that you are sleeping badly .
The latter, as in the cases described above, may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease .
Yet also It is possible that the need to sleep more than necessary is associated with another condition, whether mental or physical. .
In the first group are: some like depression and in the second, others like diabetes or cardiovascular problems.
The problem is that These conditions are also associated with an increased risk of dementia details an article available in the National Library of Medicine the United States.
As explained to the aforementioned media, the neurology academic at the Mayo Clinic Sleep Medicine Center, Diego Carvalho, “It is currently unclear what impact prolonged sleep has” .
“This may be more of a symptom of an underlying problem than the cause of the problem,” he stressed.
Those who develop Alzheimer’s disease may have difficulty sleeping before symptoms such as memory loss appear. because one of the first areas affected by this disease is precisely the one that helps regulate sleep.
Stanford University postdoctoral researcher in neurology and neurological sciences Joe Winer told the American newspaper that In addition to amyloid, there is another main protein that is thought to be responsible for this diagnosis: tau, which also accumulates in the brain. and can damage brain cells.
According to the expert, one of the first places where it gathers corresponds to “brain stem areas important for regulating sleep and wakefulness” .
“We believe that The appearance of tau in these areas will soon alter sleep and wake cycles. of the people,” Winer stressed.
Even like this, Alzheimer’s disease isn’t the only type of dementia associated with early sleep problems. .
In this sense, they stated that It is normal for older people to sleep a little more or less than usual. after, for example, retiring.
But if these changes occur drastically, they suggest consulting a health professional. to assess the case and the best ways to approach it.
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
