Sleep for Memory & Staying Sharp

Memory loss and dementia top the fear list for aging for good reason:

• Our mind is where quality of life begins.

• Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias are increasing.

• Effective drug interventions with substantial benefit do not yet exist.

The good news - lifestyle interventions are proving effective - in prevention and early stage dementia - sleep in particular.

We can sleep our way to better memory and less Alzheimer's risk through both direct and indirect pathways:

• Your Nightly Brain Shower - Minimizing Alzheimer's Disease Risk

• Making New Memories

• Connecting Memories Bites for Learning & Creative Problem Solving 

The Direct Benefits

#1 Your Nightly Brain Shower

Every night, our brain gets a good cleaning - if we get enough early Deep Sleep!

Through the recently discovered glymphatic system, spinal fluid enters our brain cells to flush out metabolic waste. This includes the infamous beta-amyloid plaques and tau proteins associated with Alzheimer's Disease. The cleaning process kicks into high gear during our early hours of Deep Sleep. 

If we lose our early Deep Sleep, the waste begins to pile up, increasing our Alzheimer's Disease risk. This is compounded by a a negative feedback loop: Too little sleep leads to amyloid and tau buildup. Amyloid and tau buildup leads to less sleep. While we cannot say which comes first, a Canadian study published in 2023 reinforces the relationship between deep sleep and Alzheimer's Disease.

The upside: We don't have to wait for a miracle drug. Just taking charge of when we eat and sleep can make a profound difference.

#2. Making New Memories

Keep your memory going strong with regular, quality sleep.

Deep Sleep with some help from Light Sleep, transfers our day's new memories from their temporary storage location (the hippocampus) to long-term storage. This frees up space for new memory capture the next day. If the transfer doesn't happen, we run out of space to capture new memories ! Imagine a USB stick that gets so full there is no room to store new data.

Sufficient Deep Sleep gives the brain time to transfer the data to the long-term storage drive and make room for new data capture the next day. Miss a day or two of good sleep and you have less room to capture new memories. And if this continues, some memories not yet transferred may be overwritten and lost forever.

#3. Connecting Memory Bites for Learning & Creative Problem Solving

Once memories are transferred to long-term storage, REM sleep takes over.

During REM sleep we connect memories for learning and creative problem solving. REM further etches the memories into our brain, then organizes and integrates these new memories with older memories and experiences. 

Have you ever experienced that late-night inability to solve a problem, only to have the "aha" moment the next morning? REM sleep helps make those connections we might never see with our conscious waking mind. Watch out for Stealth Saboteurs like evening alcohol.

The Good News: With sufficient, regular quality sleep we can run the full memory transfer and connection program, keep on learning, and keep having those creative insights!

The Indirect Benefits - 'Type 3 Diabetes' (Alzheimer's Disease)

Sleep role in how our brain makes choices triggers many indirect benefits - notably the habits to maintain good metabolic health and avoid insulin dysregulation.

Good metabolic health and insulin regulation are important for memory and cognition hence Alzheimer's Disease sometimes being called 'Type 3 Diabetes'. The implication with respect to sleep?

• Any choice you make for reducing diabetes risks will also be good for reducing Alzheimer's Disease risk.

• Better sleep enables better choices.

Learn more in the posts "Why Sleep Matters" and "Sleep: Who's In Charge?"

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Final Word

The latest evidence shows we can reduce our risk of memory, cognition, and learning challenges through sleep - both directly and indirectly.

It's never too early or too late to start. However, the earlier we start, the lower our risks.

For JC notes, habit planners, and links to the experts for more detail, explore our Sleep Portal.

Wishing you all the best,

Janice