Promote Good Sleep to Reduce Risk of Dementia
To reduce risk of dementia there are several factors to consider. Good quality sleep can be one of the most difficult things to get when you are stuck in poor sleep cycles. Many people struggle to fall asleep until the early hours of the morning, and catch it up by sleeping until midday – or are able to fall asleep early but wake up around 3 or 4 am and cannot get back to sleep.
Studies have found that poor sleep relating to insomnia can have a more lasting effect than just that on the next day. The greatest risk is for dementia later in life; however heart disease, diabetes, obesity, mood instability, bowel issues, prostate cancer and breast cancer have all been linked to poor sleep.
Lack of quality sleep is becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s society, as are the occurrences of dementia later in life. The amount of people not getting enough sleep daily (less than 6 hours) is as high as 20% of the population, while insomnia is the most common sleep disorder today, affecting 64 million people. Further, dementia will take the lives of one in three people over the age of 65.
Researchers have identified rapid eye movement (REM) sleep as the key factor relating to dementia. REM sleep is fundamental to proper maintenance of the brain, and many people can’t achieve a deep enough REM to enable this function. Rather, people suffering from this will experience vivid, violent dreams, even reacting physically by punching, kicking or even jumping out of bed.
Unfortunately, more than 60% of people who have this REM disorder will develop dementia or Parkinson’s disease later in life.
The Circadian Rhythm – Sleep-Wake Cycles
The internal bodily function that regulates our sleep/wake patterns is called the circadian rhythm – it is a biological clock that interprets time based on the light of day and darkness of night as the sun goes down.
This circadian rhythm can quickly become imbalanced with unnatural daily habits – when this imbalance becomes overloaded your risk of developing brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s is increased.
The reason for this is because the hippocampus, which is the section of the brain that controls the circadian rhythm, also governs short-term memory and learning. The hippocampus is the first part of the brain to experience degeneration with the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Persistent issues with your sleep patterns or quality of sleep can be affecting the hippocampus, and lead to an increased risk of developing brain disease later in life.
The Circadian Rhythm and Dementia
Researchers observed an increased risk of dementia in older women who displayed weak circadian rhythms. Further tracking of circadian rhythms over extended periods of time has been observed as predictive for cognitive decline in elderly people.
Identifying Your Risk of Dementia Later in Life
The question is: what represents poor circadian rhythm? The following symptoms are a good indicator that you may be experiencing issues with this cycle:
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Persistent morning grogginess
- Persistent feelings of exhaustion even after sleep
- Poor recovery from exercise
- Sharp energy loss during afternoon periods
Prevent Dementia by Promoting Good Sleep
The good news is that you can actively promote proper circadian rhythm through good lifestyle choices. A great place to start is by regulating cortisol levels, which is the adrenal stress hormone. Studies show chronic high concentrations of this hormone as a result of physical or mental stress will actively degenerate the hippocampus.
Remember stress isn’t just social, or related to your job – it is also physiological, relating to your blood sugar, food intolerances and hormone imbalances. Inflammation is a significant health issue that can lead to degeneration of the hippocampus; however this can be monitored using a blood panel that identifies high homocysteine content. These types of issues can all undermine brain health in the long term.
Inflammation and Dementia
A very direct way to get your circadian rhythm back to normal is through reducing inflammation in the body. Your diet should be first and foremost with respect to achieving this. Eliminating foods that you may be intolerant of such as gluten and dairy, avoiding processed foods and taking steps to stabilize your blood sugar are achievable goals to reduce inflammation.
Contact my office for information about an anti-inflammatory diet, regulating sleep and circadian rhythms and other preventative measures against dementia.
