Sleep is essential for life. Sleep helps our brains and bodies recover so we can be fresh and ready for the new day.

Sleep has 5 phases:
● Phase 1-2 Light sleep
● Phase 3-4 Deep sleep 
● Phase 5 Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep when we dream

The stages that matter most to your body and mind are deep sleep and REM sleep. You should sleep for at least 7-8 hours to get better sleep and enough deep sleep and REM sleep.

Good Sleep Protects Us from Dementia

Good sleep boosts learning and memory as well as emotional health and overall well-being. While we sleep, our brains gather what we’ve learned during the day. Our memory and learning systems benefit from a good night’s rest.

If we don’t get enough good sleep, our emotional and physical health suffer. We feel anxious. We feel tired during the day. If we don't hurry to adjust our sleeping habits, they can seriously impact many vital body systems, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Andrew E. Budson has researched the benefits of sleep for memory. Good sleep enhances the memory system. It can also help reduce the risk of dementia and death. People with dementia often suffer from insomnia. This link was highlighted in two recent studies. They found that too little sleep raises the risk of developing dementia. Sleep problems may cause as well as result from dementia.

6-8 Hours of Sleep per night Best for Health

Several studies are now looking at sleep and dementia. Two recent studies found show an interesting relationship. The first study looked at the correlation between self-assessed sleep patterns over 1 year and progression to dementia and/or death over the next 5 years among subjects aged 65 years and over. The study, with more than 2,800 participants, found that those who slept less than 5 hours each night had double the risk of dementia and death of those who slept 6-8 hours.* 

The second study used data from European countries (France, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland) with a sample of nearly 8,000 people. People in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who regularly slept 6 hours or less had a 30% higher risk of dementia than those who slept 7 hours a day. The average age of people with dementia was 77 years.**

Both studies found that sleep deprivation in middle age raises the risk of dementia. Middle-aged people get too little sleep for many reasons, including shift work. Insomnia, which gets more common as we get older, can come from anxiety, work deadlines, and many other factors, some of which we cannot control. But we can create or modify behaviors. If you now only sleep about 4-5 hours a night, because you have to work until late every night, you may need to find a way to change your behavior before bedtime to get at least 6-8 hours. You could set a clear working schedule or plan to work more efficiently to reduce your future risk of dementia.

*This study controlled for characteristics such as age, marital status, ethnicity, education, health status, and body weight as preliminary data.
**This study controlled for demographic, behavioral, and cardiovascular risk factors as well as mental health factors as preliminary data.

Sleep Takes Harmful Chemicals from Our Brains

So why does poor sleep raise your dementia risk? A possible explanation is how Alzheimer's proteins like beta-amyloid accumulate and clump together.

Beta-amyloid protein has been studied extensively because it’s associated with the development of Alzheimer's. Researchers don’t yet know its exact function. There’s evidence that it’s involved in the immune system's defense against microbial invasion, although excessive accumulation can cause Alzheimer's.

Our bodies make beta-amyloid every day and it accumulates in brain cells while we sleep. There’s a mechanism for removing such proteins from these cells during the day.

Past studies suggests that too little sleep gives our brains too little time to eliminate beta-amyloid protein and other components. So they build up in brain cells, leading to dementia. A study by researchers in Toronto and Chicago found that better sleep reduces tangles of other proteins associated with Alzheimer's.

Design for Sleep at The Aspen Tree in The Forestias

Sleep is vital to life. Good sleep is like eating well and exercising. And it's crucial to brain health. Especially when we get to 50 and over.

The Aspen Tree enjoys the enchanting forest setting of The Forestias, where you’re part of a warm and vibrant community of all ages.You can relax in the heart of nature with fresh air. Your elegant residence is designed under the concept of Aging-in-Place to top international standards to support your exceptional quality of life.Your home and its tranquil surroundings, along with immaculate service and a host of activities for well-being, help you enjoy wonderful days and restful nights. With this perfect setting and support, your lifestyle helps you stay strong, sharp, and in shape.

The program of daily activities builds well-being and boosts your physical and mental strength, helping you enjoy a good night’s rest. The Aspen Tree at The Forestias is dedicated to taking care of you, letting you enjoy life to the full, free from stress or worries, with a team of experts on hand 24 hours a day.

Discover today how to live the life you’ve dreamed of at The Aspen Tree.

Find out more at https://mqdc.com/aspentree

Tel. 1265

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