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@ The Modern Sovereign
2025-05-09 11:55:02
The Critical Link Between Poor Sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease
Emerging research highlights a powerful connection between poor sleep and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. One of the key culprits is beta-amyloid—a toxic protein that can accumulate in the brain and is strongly linked to the progression of Alzheimer’s.
During deep non-REM sleep, the brain activates the glymphatic system, a waste clearance pathway that acts like a nightly rinse cycle for the brain. This system flushes out harmful metabolic waste, including beta-amyloid. When sleep is disrupted or shortened, especially deep sleep, this cleansing process is impaired, allowing beta-amyloid to build up over time.
Interestingly, a lack of restorative deep sleep can create a vicious cycle: the more beta-amyloid builds up, the harder it becomes to achieve deep sleep, accelerating cognitive decline. This underscores the critical role of quality sleep not just in daily function, but in long-term brain health and Alzheimer’s prevention.
Getting consistent, high-quality sleep may be one of the most powerful tools we have for protecting the brain as we age. Would you like a graphic to go with this post?
#WhyWeSleep https://image.nostr.build/a5a9c94bc1775986f8a846c9ab39b70bd2be9b3790fbf5bf8b653ec4b7644389.jpg