What's the connection between sleep and Alzheimer's disease? | Sleeping with Science, a TED series

Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease

In this video, Dr. Matthew Walker discusses the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer's disease. He explains how beta-amyloid and tau proteins are related to Alzheimer's disease, how sleep disorders increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and how lack of sleep can cause an increase in beta-amyloid levels. He also talks about the glymphatic system in the brain that is responsible for cleansing toxins during sleep.

The Relationship Between Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease

• Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia characterized by memory loss.

• Beta-amyloid is a sticky, toxic substance that builds up in the brain in people with Alzheimer's disease.

• Individuals who report sleeping less than six hours a night have a significantly higher risk of developing high amounts of beta-amyloid later in life.

• Insomnia and sleep apnea are associated with a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in late life.

Causal Evidence

• Lack of sleep causes an immediate increase in beta-amyloid levels after just one night.

• Scientists have found an immediate increase in beta-amyloid directly in the brain itself after just one night of sleep deprivation using special brain-imaging technology.

The Glymphatic System

• The glymphatic system is responsible for cleansing toxins during sleep.

• The cleansing system is not always switched on but kicks into high gear when individuals are sleeping, particularly when they go into deep non-REM sleep.

• One of the metabolic by-products cleared away during sleep is beta-amyloid linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Midlife Prevention

• Sleep is a missing piece in the explanatory puzzle of aging and Alzheimer's disease.

• Augmenting human sleep and improving the quality of deep sleep in midlife may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

• Modifying sleep could shift from a model of late-stage treatment in Alzheimer's disease to a model of midlife prevention.