What Illnesses Can Poor Sleep Really Contribute Absolutely?
Science has shown that poor sleep causes heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain types of cancer … and now new research shows poor sleep can lead to Alzheimer’s, too!” Specifically poor deep sleep! Deposits of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Using brain imaging and other diagnostic tools, researchers evaluated 26 cognitively normal older adults to see if there was a link between sleep, memory and beta-amyloid protein accumulation. Indeed, those who had disrupted sleep patterns had higher amounts of beta-amyloid buildup and worse scores on memory tests. According to the study’s senior author, UC Berkeley neuroscience professor Matthew Walker: “The more beta-amyloid you have in certain parts of your brain, the less deep sleep you get and, consequently, the worse your memory … Additionally, the less deep sleep you have, the less effective you are at clearing out this bad protein. It’s a vicious cycle.” The “clearing out” of bad protein that Walker is referring to takes place during sleep. Previous research has shown that, during sleep, your brain’s