Scientists Now Warn Reduced Deep Sleep Is Linked With Alzheimer’s Disease

(Newswire.net — April 14, 2022) Orlando, FL — Alzheimer’s disease rates continue to increase not just in the United States, but all over the world. Due to its increasing prevalence, researchers carry out studies to explore more of the factors that influence the onset of this condition.

One study was published in the Science Translational Medicine. 

This research was carried out by the researchers at Washington University School of Medicine. 

The investigators of this study have found that reduced deep sleep is associated with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Experts say that one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is poor sleep. It has been found that there are elevated levels of a toxic brain protein called tau in older individuals who sleep poorly.  These individuals have less slow-waved sleep, which pertains to deep sleep you need to consolidate memories and wake up feeling refreshed.

More specifically, elevated tau is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. It has further been associated not just with brain damage but also cognitive decline. 

This research was spearheaded by Brendan Lucey, MD, an assistant professor of neurology and director of the Washington University Sleep Medicine Center. 

The investigators particularly revealed the inverse relationship between reduced slow-wave sleep and increased tau protein in people who were either cognitively normal or very mildly impaired.

This means that decreased slow-wave activity may be a marker for the transition between normal and impaired.

“Measuring how people sleep may be a noninvasive way to screen for Alzheimer’s disease before or just as people begin to develop problems with memory and thinking,” Lucey said.

Today, Alzheimer’s disease has been found to affect an estimated number of 5.7 million individuals in the United States. 

There are disease-fighting remedies like ashwagandha found helpful against the condition. This Ayurvedic herb has long been studied by researchers due to its remarkable healing potential.

According to the scientists at Newcastle University, this natural healing ingredient inhibits the formation of the beta-amyloid plaques. 

Experts have long suggested that these plaques are considered to be toxic to brain cells. They have been found to accumulate in the brain cells of individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

Scientists from the National Brain Research Center (NBRC) suggest that treatment of ashwagandha led to the reduction of the amyloid plaques in the brains of the mouse subjects. 

There are other brain health benefits linked with the use of ashwagandha. It can be obtained through formulas like Divine Bounty Ashwagandha (http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Ashwagandha-Capsules-Absorption-Ashwaganda/dp/B072KFLL6X).