The guide to
Sleep & Brain Health
Sleep and the brain
Sleep as dementia defense
Better sleep for a healthier brain
What does healthy sleep have to do with a healthy brain?
Return
Next
Sleep is essential to overall health
Adequate sleep helps lower cortisol levels, a hormone tied to stress.
During sleep, the body balances:
- Appetite hormones (leptin and ghrelin)
- Growth hormones
High quality sleep supports a healthy gut microbiome, facilitating digestion.
Return
Next
It's also essential to cognitive health
Memory consolidation
Sleep converts short-term memories to long-term memories, making us less forgetful.
Learning and executive function
Sleep boosts our attention span, planning abilities, time management, prioritization, emotional control, and other executive functions.
Productivity and creativity
Sleep helps us focus and gives us the energy to think and perform at our best during the day.
Return
Next
Sleep as an Alzheimer's defense
When we're not sleeping well, the glymphatic system could malfunction, allowing problematic proteins to build up in the brain.
The glymphatic system is like the brain's janitor, and it works at night, clearing out harmful cells as we sleep. It uses spinal fluid to wash away toxic proteins like beta-amyloid, which builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
Read more
Return
Next
Poor sleep and dementia
Researchers now understand that poor sleep and dementia are closely linked. Peter Alders, a health policy researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam, found that people who consistently sleep six hours or fewer each night are 44 percent more likely to develop dementia later in life. On the other hand, very long sleep, nine hours or more, often emerges shortly before dementia symptoms appear, meaning it may be an early warning sign of the disease rather than a direct cause. Studies have shown that people who experience less slow wave and rem sleep earlier in life had greater brain atrophy years later. Restorative sleep is essential for protecting the brain.
Return
Next
The importance of deep sleep
Being Patient interviewed Dr. Roger Wong, who notes that getting enough sleep allows your brain to go through its important cleaning cycle, which sets us up to be considerably more well-rested.
Expert Perspective
“During the day, let’s say, you put some dishes in your dishwasher, and you have a buildup of dirt and grime. [Those are] the beta-amyloid proteins that we know are associated with dementia risk...During deep sleep, all of this is drained away, and the beta-amyloid is drained away during the nighttime. That is why deep sleep is critical for us.”
Roger Wong, PhD, MPH, MSWAssistant Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine SUNY Upstate Medical University
Read more
Return
Next
Questions researchers are asking
Scientists are still learning more about the link between sleep and brain health.
Are sleeping drugs good or bad for the brain?
Read more
Does sleep apnea increase dementia risk?
Read more
Return
Next
What happens when you don't get enough sleep?
Short-term
Not sleeping enough makes you: - Forgetful
- Less focused
- More moody
Long-term
Chronic sleep deprivation also causes: - Insomnia
- Narcolepsy
- Poor attention span
Return
Next
Dozing Off - Transition between sleep and wakefulness
- Benefits from cool and dark setting
REM Sleep - Memories are consolidated
- Microglia repair the brain
- Immune system is reinforced
Stages of Sleep
Deep Sleep - Restorative sleep, allowing for bodily recovery and growth
Light Sleep - Body activity slows
- Prevents daytime fatigue
Return
Next
Science-backed advice for better sleep
Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Create a relaxing pre-bedtime routine
Exercise to manage your stress
Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark
Avoid long daytime naps
Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bed
Return
Next
Research on naps and brain health
Short naps are linked to higher brain volume...
Researchers at Harvard and UCL found that habitual nappers who regularly nap just
five to 15 minutes a day have a higher total brain volume, which may aid with alertness and other mental skills. They concluded that daytime napping "may limit cognitive decline as a person ages".
...but too much napping could also lead to Alzheimer's
However, Brigham and Women’s Hospital found a link between excessive
daytime napping and cognitive aging: excessive daytime napping as it predicted an increased future risk of Alzheimer’s, and a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s sped up the increase in daytime napping during aging.
Return
Next
What is sun downing?
Sundowning, a common symptom of various forms of dementia, is characterized by worsening behaviors and psychological changes that come about each day, in the late afternoon and evening — around sundown. In sundowning a certain set of these personality changes tend to intensify as the day progresses, typically peaking around sunset. They might include: agitation, confusion, anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. The exact cause of sundowning is not fully understood, but several factors are believed to contribute:
Disruptions in the internal body clock
Sensory overstimulation
Reduced ability to handle changing light
Fatigue
Return
Next
Managing sleep and sundowning
Experts recommend managing sundowning by creating strong sleep cues throughout the day. Exposure to natural daylight in the morning and early afternoon, combined with darker environments in the evening, helps keep circadian rhythms on track.
Establishing a consistent daily routine and engaging the person in structured activities before dinner can also reduce late-day agitation and prepare them for better rest.
Return
Next
Want to learn more?
Want To Keep Learning?
Visit
beingpatient.com
for the latest news and information on brain health and Alzheimer's disease
Return
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Transcript
The guide to
Sleep & Brain Health
Sleep and the brain
Sleep as dementia defense
Better sleep for a healthier brain
What does healthy sleep have to do with a healthy brain?
Return
Next
Sleep is essential to overall health
Adequate sleep helps lower cortisol levels, a hormone tied to stress.
During sleep, the body balances:
High quality sleep supports a healthy gut microbiome, facilitating digestion.
Return
Next
It's also essential to cognitive health
Memory consolidation
Sleep converts short-term memories to long-term memories, making us less forgetful.
Learning and executive function
Sleep boosts our attention span, planning abilities, time management, prioritization, emotional control, and other executive functions.
Productivity and creativity
Sleep helps us focus and gives us the energy to think and perform at our best during the day.
Return
Next
Sleep as an Alzheimer's defense
When we're not sleeping well, the glymphatic system could malfunction, allowing problematic proteins to build up in the brain.
The glymphatic system is like the brain's janitor, and it works at night, clearing out harmful cells as we sleep. It uses spinal fluid to wash away toxic proteins like beta-amyloid, which builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
Read more
Return
Next
Poor sleep and dementia
Researchers now understand that poor sleep and dementia are closely linked. Peter Alders, a health policy researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam, found that people who consistently sleep six hours or fewer each night are 44 percent more likely to develop dementia later in life. On the other hand, very long sleep, nine hours or more, often emerges shortly before dementia symptoms appear, meaning it may be an early warning sign of the disease rather than a direct cause. Studies have shown that people who experience less slow wave and rem sleep earlier in life had greater brain atrophy years later. Restorative sleep is essential for protecting the brain.
Return
Next
The importance of deep sleep
Being Patient interviewed Dr. Roger Wong, who notes that getting enough sleep allows your brain to go through its important cleaning cycle, which sets us up to be considerably more well-rested.
Expert Perspective
“During the day, let’s say, you put some dishes in your dishwasher, and you have a buildup of dirt and grime. [Those are] the beta-amyloid proteins that we know are associated with dementia risk...During deep sleep, all of this is drained away, and the beta-amyloid is drained away during the nighttime. That is why deep sleep is critical for us.”
Roger Wong, PhD, MPH, MSWAssistant Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine SUNY Upstate Medical University
Read more
Return
Next
Questions researchers are asking
Scientists are still learning more about the link between sleep and brain health.
Are sleeping drugs good or bad for the brain?
Read more
Does sleep apnea increase dementia risk?
Read more
Return
Next
What happens when you don't get enough sleep?
Short-term
Not sleeping enough makes you:- Forgetful
- Less focused
- More moody
Long-term
Chronic sleep deprivation also causes:- Insomnia
- Narcolepsy
- Poor attention span
Return
Next
Dozing Off- Transition between sleep and wakefulness
- Benefits from cool and dark setting
REM Sleep- Memories are consolidated
- Microglia repair the brain
- Immune system is reinforced
Stages of Sleep
Deep Sleep- Restorative sleep, allowing for bodily recovery and growth
Light Sleep- Body activity slows
- Prevents daytime fatigue
Return
Next
Science-backed advice for better sleep
Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Create a relaxing pre-bedtime routine
Exercise to manage your stress
Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark
Avoid long daytime naps
Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bed
Return
Next
Research on naps and brain health
Short naps are linked to higher brain volume...
Researchers at Harvard and UCL found that habitual nappers who regularly nap just
five to 15 minutes a day have a higher total brain volume, which may aid with alertness and other mental skills. They concluded that daytime napping "may limit cognitive decline as a person ages".
...but too much napping could also lead to Alzheimer's
However, Brigham and Women’s Hospital found a link between excessive
daytime napping and cognitive aging: excessive daytime napping as it predicted an increased future risk of Alzheimer’s, and a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s sped up the increase in daytime napping during aging.
Return
Next
What is sun downing?
Sundowning, a common symptom of various forms of dementia, is characterized by worsening behaviors and psychological changes that come about each day, in the late afternoon and evening — around sundown. In sundowning a certain set of these personality changes tend to intensify as the day progresses, typically peaking around sunset. They might include: agitation, confusion, anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. The exact cause of sundowning is not fully understood, but several factors are believed to contribute:
Disruptions in the internal body clock
Sensory overstimulation
Reduced ability to handle changing light
Fatigue
Return
Next
Managing sleep and sundowning
Experts recommend managing sundowning by creating strong sleep cues throughout the day. Exposure to natural daylight in the morning and early afternoon, combined with darker environments in the evening, helps keep circadian rhythms on track.
Establishing a consistent daily routine and engaging the person in structured activities before dinner can also reduce late-day agitation and prepare them for better rest.
Return
Next
Want to learn more?
Want To Keep Learning?
Visit
beingpatient.com
for the latest news and information on brain health and Alzheimer's disease
Return