The last few decades have seen uptick in published research on the link between sleeplessness, dementia and Alzheimer's, but a longitudinal study has confirmed some positive news for one group of people.
The new study confirmed the link between Alzheimer's and insomnia, but showed that individuals who are able to go back to sleep after waking up at night or in the morning (known as sleep-maintenance insomnia) have a 40 per cent decreased dementia risk.
Sleep-initiation insomnia was associated with a 51 per cent increased dementia risk, according to the results, while sleep medication usage causes a 30 per cent increased dementia risk.
Researchers interviewed over 6,000 patients recording their sleep-onset insomnia (difficulty initiating sleep within 30 minutes of going to bed), sleep-maintenance insomnia (difficulty remaining asleep throughout the night), and their use of sleep medication.
Professor Roger Wong, a professor with the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at SUNY's Upstate Medical University, has a theory on why those with sleep-maintenance insomnia do better.
Wong's theory is that those who wake up in the middle of the night - like his own father, who inspired the study - are more likely to engage in cognitively-stimulating activities, "which then decreases dementia risk.”
"The hallmark for this disease is the build-up of a toxic protein in the brain called ‘plaque,'" Wong explains. "Good quality and quantity of sleep are important because there has been research done in both rodents and humans indicating that sleep is essential to drain away this plaque when we sleep. Inadequate sleep increases the build-up of plaque in the brain."
Good sleep is usually linked to less prevalence of degenerative brain diseases as getting the right amount of hours triggers the “glymphatic system," which is responsible for scrubbing out that brain 'plaque.'
Wong continues: “It’s also very possible that good sleep is needed to maintain good mental and physical health, which are strongly linked to dementia risk."
For those who wake up at night, doing a quiet activity like reading, gardening, or even a little light cooking is best. Wong theorizes that most insomniacs end up resorting to desperate measures to go back to sleep - like sleeping aids.
Whether sleeping pills are over-the-counter or prescribed, they all heighten dementia risks.
“Many sleep aids are anticholinergic, which disrupts a neurotransmitter in our brain called acetylcholine, which is essential for memory," the study concludes.
Researchers suggest going to sleep naturally as much as possible and developing routines that help you fall asleep, like avoiding caffeine after noon, taking a warm shower or bath, or avoiding the use of electronics before bed.
