Better Sleep Is A Protective Factor Against Dementia

Better sleep is a protective factor
against dementia
Dementia is a progressive loss of cognitive abilities, such as memory,
that is significant enough to have an impact on a person’s daily
activities.
It can be caused by a number of different diseases, including
Alzheimer’s, which is the most common form. Dementia is caused by a
loss of neurons over a long period of time. Since, by the time
symptoms appear, many changes in the brain have already occurred,
many scientists are focusing on studying the risk and protective factors
for dementia.
A risk factor, or conversely, a protective factor, is a condition or
behaviour that increases or reduces the risk of developing a disease,
but does not guarantee either outcome. Some risk factors for
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, such as age or genetics, are not
modifiable, but there are several other factors we can influence,
specifically lifestyle habits and their impact on our overall health.
These risk factors include depression, lack of physical activity, social
isolation, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, excessive alcohol
consumption and smoking, as well as poor sleep.
We have been focusing our research on the question of sleep for over
10 years, particularly in the context of the Framingham Heart Study. In
this large community-based cohort study, ongoing since the 1940s, the
health of surviving participants has been monitored to the present day.
As researchers in sleep medicine and epidemiology, we have expertise
in researching the role of sleep and sleep disorders in cognitive and
psychiatric brain aging.
As part of our research, we monitored and analyzed the sleep of
people aged 60 and over to see who did — or did not — develop
dementia.
Sleep as a risk or protective factor against dementia

Sleep appears to play an essential role in a number of brain functions,
such as memory. Good quality sleep could therefore play a vital role in
preventing dementia.
Sleep is important for maintaining good connections in the brain.
Recently, research has revealed that sleep seems to have a function
similar to that of a garbage truck for the brain: deep sleep could be
crucial for eliminating metabolic waste from the brain, including
clearing certain proteins, such as those known to accumulate in the
brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
However, the links between deep sleep and dementia still have to be
clarified.
What is deep sleep?

During a night’s sleep, we go through several sleep stages that
succeed one another and are repeated.
NREM sleep (non-rapid eye movement sleep) is divided into light
NREM sleep (NREM1 stage), NREM sleep (NREM2 stage) and deep
NREM sleep, also called slow-wave sleep (NREM3 stage). The latter is
associated with several restorative functions. Next, REM sleep (rapid
eye movement sleep) is the stage generally associated with the most
vivid dreams. An adult generally spends around 15 to 20 per cent of
each night in deep sleep, if we add up all the periods of NREM3 sleep.
Several sleep changes are common in adults, such as going to bed
and waking up earlier, sleeping for shorter periods of time and less
deeply, and waking up more frequently during the night.
Sleep stages, and the role of deep sleep for brain health. (Andrée-Ann
Baril)
Loss of deep sleep linked to dementia

Participants in the Framingham Heart Study were assessed using a
sleep recording — known as polysomnography — on two occasions,
approximately five years apart, in 1995-1998 and again in 2001-2003.
Many people showed a reduction in their deep slow-wave sleep over
the years, as is to be expected with aging. Conversely, the amount of
deep sleep in some people remained stable or even increased.
Our team of researchers from the Framingham Heart Study followed
346 participants aged 60 and over for a further 17 years to observe
who developed dementia and who did not.
Progressive loss of deep sleep over time was associated with an
increased risk of dementia, whatever the cause, and particularly
Alzheimer’s type dementia. These results were independent of many
other risk factors for dementia.
Although our results do not prove that loss of deep sleep causes
dementia, they do suggest that it could be a risk factor in the elderly.
Other aspects of sleep may also be important, such as its duration and
quality.
Strategies to improve deep sleep

Knowing the impact of a lack of deep sleep on cognitive health, what
strategies can be used to improve it?
First and foremost, if you’re experiencing sleep problems, it’s worth
talking to your doctor. Many sleep disorders are underdiagnosed and
treatable, particularly through behavioural (i.e. non-medicinal)
approaches.
Adopting good sleep habits can help, such as going to bed and getting
up at consistent times or avoiding bright or blue light in bed, like that of
screens.
You can also avoid caffeine, limit your alcohol intake, maintain a
healthy weight, be physically active during the day, and sleep in a
comfortable, dark and quiet environment.
The role of deep sleep in preventing dementia remains to be explored
and studied. Encouraging sleep with good lifestyle habits could have
the potential to help us age in a healthier way.
Essential words for speaking and writing
1. Conversely – in a way that is the opposite of something
You can add the fluid to the powder, or, conversely, the powder to the
fluid.
2. Modifiable– the capacity of something to be changed or adjusted in its

significance or interpretation based on context, perspective, or
additional information.
"The term 'artificial intelligence' has a modifiable meaning depending on
whether it's discussed in the context of science fiction, technology
development, or philosophical debates."
3. Eliminate – to remove or get rid of something

Credit cards eliminate the need to carry a lot of cash.
4. Restorative – making you feel strong and healthy again

The restorative power of fresh air
5. Assess – to make a judgement about the nature or quality of

somebody/something
Accurately assessing environmental impacts is very complex.
6. Treatable – (of an illness or injury) that can be made better with

medical care
A treatable infection

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Better sleep is a protective factor

Sleep as a risk or protective factor against dementia

What is deep sleep?

Loss of deep sleep linked to dementia

Strategies to improve deep sleep

2. Modifiable– the capacity of something to be changed or adjusted in its

3. Eliminate – to remove or get rid of something

4. Restorative – making you feel strong and healthy again

5. Assess – to make a judgement about the nature or quality of

6. Treatable – (of an illness or injury) that can be made better with

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