Sleep problems can take a heavy toll on your brain’s health

I talk about sleep quite a bit in this space. And for good reason!

Making sure you get enough sleep is one of the most critical things you can do for your health. But every time I think we’ve found all the ways that poor sleep can harm us, along comes a new study exposing a different set of problems.

And trust me folks, this latest one is a real doozy…

From insomnia… to Alzheimer’s

According to a new study, people who suffer from declining sleep quality in their 50s and 60s also have more beta-amyloid and tau protein tangles—key features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—in their brains.

(Though as I’ve mentioned here before, not everyone with these clinical markers will actually experience symptoms.)

But that’s not all the researchers found. They also discovered that people with high tau proteins were also more likely to experience brain wave disruptions during sleep.

This lack of synchronization may prove to be yet another biomarker we could look for in detecting AD. And it may also help explain why sleep is so critical to memory formation.

To sum it up, the team found that lack of sleep throughout your lifespan is a significant predictor of clinical AD pathology in the brain. And there wasn’t a single decade of life where they found it to be safe to go without proper sleep.

They did, however, discover that getting the right amount of sleep seemed to be the most critical during your 50s and 60s. So retirement-age folks should take special note—and aim to always get seven to nine hours of shuteye each night.

Seek out better sleep—today

As simple as it sounds, sleep plays a key role in AD prevention. And thanks to this study, we now have a better understanding of why.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the role that beta-amyloid deposits and tau tangles play in this disease. But the takeaway of this research is still pretty clear: If you’re struggling with sleep, then you need to run, not walk, to a doctor for help.

Maybe you suffer from apnea, for example, which stops your breathing at various intervals throughout the night. Or maybe you simply struggle with insomnia—which cognitive behavioral therapy and extra attention to sleep hygiene can often remedy.

Whatever the case… and whatever you do… avoid using dangerous sleep medications. Because believe me when I tell you that you don’t need to take that risk to get a sound night’s sleep.

(If you need more convincing, just take a look at the August 2016 issue of my Logical Health Alternatives newsletter [“Four terrifying reasons you should never take sleeping pills”]. Subscribers have access to this and all of my past content. So if you haven’t already, click here to sign up today!)

Such risks don’t stop mainstream docs from prescribing these drugs, though. Which is one of the main reasons I developed my Perfect Sleep Protocol—which covers lifestyle interventions as well as all of the side-effect-free nutritional supplements that can help you to fall and stay asleep.

So if you’re tired of struggling night after night, I encourage you to enroll today. Because believe me, you have a lot more than a well-rested morning to gain.

Source:

“Disrupted sleep in one’s 50s, 60s raises risk of Alzheimer’s disease: Protein tangles in the aging brain throw sleep rhythms out of sync, likely leading to memory loss.” Science Daily, 07/27/2019. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190627114105.htm)