Memory loss and dementia top the fear list for aging. And though the rates of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias are increasing, we do have good news! The evidence shows we can sleep our way to better memory and less Alzheimer's risk - both directly and indirectly. It even improves our learning and creative problem-solving abilities!
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 the brain cells to cleanse our brain of metabolic wastes - including the infamous beta-amyloid plaques and tau proteins associated with Alzheimer's Disease. This 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. Recent research has discovered that more than usual amyloid and tau proteins are generated in just one night of poor sleep. Because these proteins are stored in areas of the brain that help us sleep, this buildup can lead to a vicious 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 GOOD NEWS
We don't have to wait for a miracle drug. Reinforcing our natural circadian rhythms and avoiding sleep saboteurs can help mitigate these and other insults to our brain!#2. Making New Memories
Keep your memory going strong with regular, quality sleep - early deep sleep in particular!
Deep Sleep transfers our day's new memories to long-term storage. This allows the brain to free up space in its temporary storage location (the hippocampus) used for new memory capture. If the transfer doesn't happen, we run out of space to capture new memories the next day! Imagine a USB stick that gets so full every day 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. Keep it up and over time, some of the memories not yet transferred may also be overwritten and lost forever.
#3. Connecting Memory Bites for Learning & Creative Problem Solving
First, we solidify and transfer memories to long-term storage. Then we connect them with other memories for learning and creative problem solving.
Once memories are transferred to long-term storage, REM sleep takes over. 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. Unfortunately, loss of REM sleep prevents the full consolidation of memories and these connections from being made. This is why we need to watch out for Stealth Saboteurs like evening alcohol.
The Good News: With sufficient, regular quality sleep we can run the full program, keep on learning, and keep having those creative insights!
The Indirect Benefits - 'Type 3 Diabetes' (Alzheimer's Disease)
Many direct and indirect benefits of sleep for making AgeSMART Living choices are found in the posts "Why Sleep Matters" and "Sleep: Who's In Charge?" They refer to sleep's ability to influence our choices which indirectly affects habits needed to maintain good metabolic health and avoid insulin dysregulation.
Good metabolic health and insulin regulation are important for memory and cognition! The opposite is now associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Indeed, you will now hear some professionals informally refer to Alzheimer's as Type 3 diabetes. The implication with respect to sleep? Any choice you make for mitigating diabetes risks will also be good for reducing Alzheimer's Disease risk. Better sleep enables better choices.
Final Word
The latest evidence shows we can reduce our risk of memory, cognition, and learning challenges through sleep - both directly and indirectly - impacting the quality of life for both our current and future self. It's never too early or too late to start. However, the earlier we start, the lower our risks.
For JC notes, worksheets, and links to the experts for more detail, explore our Sleep Portal.
Wishing you all the best,
Janice
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