Quality Sleep Is Associated With Reduced Dementia Risk

Getting adequate sleep every day is the most overlooked aspect in everyday life with people skimping on it without batting an eyelid, or understanding its repercussions on their health, especially brain health. Studies have found a close connection between poor sleep and a heightened risk of dementia. There’s a correlation between quality sleep and prevention of Alzheimer’s or other dementias, which is that the brain seems to better eliminate toxins related to Alzheimer’s disease called beta-amyloid during sleep than when awake. Here’s where the importance of improving your sleep lies and practicing good sleep habits that helps you achieve that purpose.

Beta-amyloid is known for building up in brains with increasing age, and the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease are said to have beta-amyloid in abundance than other people. Receiving quality sleep can help counter this (helps by keeping the formation of amyloid-betas into plaques and harming the neurons). Here are some ways to achieve this feat:

Prepare and adhere to a sleep routine– Choosing a particular time to wake up and go to bed every day will keep the internal clock of your body well-regulated. This will boost sleep quality.

Afternoon naps may not be a good idea– Taking afternoon naps may come in the way of your falling asleep at bedtime. Even if you have to take a nap, make sure it doesn’t extend beyond 20 minutes. Anything excess of this time may throw the internal clock into disarray.

Do not expose yourself to excess light after sundown– Excessive exposure to light in the evening hours can interfere with quality sleep. Reduce use of smartphones, television, and other such gadgets in the evening, and put them away at least an hour or two before hitting bed. Lights emanating from these electronics can take a toll on your sleep by reducing the production of melatonin (controls the sleep-wake cycle) in the brain.

Keeping distractions to a minimum is integral for quality sleep.

Bedtime rituals like meditation can be beneficial– A bedtime ritual could be anything, from listening to music to taking a shower to meditating, which can induce sleep naturally and in a jiffy.

Other valuable tips:

1. Staying hydrated all day long is good, but avoid drinking water too close to bedtime which puts you at an increased risk of nighttime washroom breaks.
2. Consuming alcohol or coffee is a big NO as you are just about to hit the bed.
3. Also, it is not a good idea to indulge in any form of physical activity too close to bed.
4. Create a sleep-inducing space for yourself, such as adjust the temperature of the room to your comfort, ensure the space is devoid of any light or noise, let some soothing music play in the background.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a type of dementia, specialized memory care- the best form of Anthem Senior Living Sanctuary, through activities like music, arts and crafts, gardening, book reading, dancing led by compassionate staff, can significantly improve the quality of life.