New research conducted by Monash University suggests that a decrease in deep sleep by just 1% per year in individuals aged over 60 is associated with a 27% increased risk of developing dementia. These findings highlight the potential importance of maintaining or enhancing deep sleep as a way to mitigate the risk of developing this debilitating disease.
Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, typically lasts between 70 and 90 minutes and occurs during the initial hours of sleep. Apart from leaving individuals feeling refreshed upon waking up, this stage of sleep is essential for the body to repair muscles, bones, and tissues, as well as strengthen the immune system.
While previous studies have indicated that deep sleep helps remove toxic proteins related to dementia from the brain, the precise role of deep sleep in the development of dementia has remained unclear. However, this new study reveals a link between a decrease in deep sleep and an increased risk of dementia in individuals over the age of 60.
According to Matthew Pase, one of the study’s co-authors, deep sleep plays a vital role in supporting the aging brain. Sleep helps facilitate the clearance of metabolic waste from the brain, including proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. However, until now, the impact of slow-wave sleep on dementia development has been uncertain. The study’s findings suggest that loss of deep sleep may be a modifiable risk factor for dementia.
The study involved 346 participants who had undergone two overnight sleep studies between 1995 and 2001. The average age of the participants was 69, with females comprising 52% of the group.
The researchers analyzed the changes in slow-wave sleep between the two sleep studies and observed that sleep duration decreased on average, indicating a loss of deep sleep associated with aging.
Over a 17-year follow-up period, 52 participants developed dementia. After accounting for factors such as age, sex, genetic factors, and medication usage, the researchers discovered that each percentage decrease in deep sleep per year was linked to a 27% increase in dementia risk.
Additionally, the study found that the loss of deep sleep with age was accelerated in individuals with a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, specifically the APOE e4 allele. However, changes in brain volume were not associated with the decline in deep sleep.
Matthew Pase further stated that they also investigated whether genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease or brain volume indicative of early neurodegeneration were related to a reduction in slow-wave sleep. The study revealed that the genetic risk factor, but not brain volume, was connected to accelerated declines in slow-wave sleep.
These findings highlight the importance of maintaining healthy sleep patterns, particularly deep sleep, to potentially reduce the risk of developing dementia in later life. Further research is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms and develop interventions to enhance deep sleep and protect against this neurodegenerative disease.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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