Categories: Sci/Tech

You Are At Risk of Alzheimer’s If You’re Often Sleepless, Science Says

Here's one more reason why you should avoid staying up late all the time.

Are you having too many late nights out? Not having enough sleep? You probably ease away worries of sleep deprivation by making up for it the next day or so. Yet a new study suggests that even one sleepless night can already cause damages that may eventually lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

We all want to grow old gracefully – to stay healthy and youthful until old age. Yet the ideal retirement vision of tranquil days and a carefree lifestyle can easily be marred by factors that affect old people such as poor physical and mental health. Alzheimer’s and dementia are among the most common diseases that afflict people in the age range of 60 and above.

Fortunately, scientists of today are searching for ways on how to prevent Alzheimer’s and other memory loss ailments. Dr Ehsan Shokri-Kojori of the National Institutes of Health in Maryland conducted a study involving 20 people who did not sleep for one night.

The research study showed that one sleepless night increases the production of beta-amyloid protein in the brain by 5%.

Source: Shutterstock

This protein has been known as one of the factors that causes memory loss. In fact, science tells us that the amount of beta-amyloid proteins in the brains determines the degree of memory loss. Individuals with less beta-amyloid experience mild memory problems while the ailment gets severe with the increase of beta-amyloid proteins. The build-up of this toxic protein can block the nerves essential to retain good memory, thus leading to Alzheimer’s.

Lack of sleep leads to memory loss problems

Source: BeBrainFit

The purpose of having enough hours of sleep cannot be stressed enough. It allows the body to rest and at the same time keep many health problems at bay. Furthermore, sleep is very important to prevent increase of beta-amyloid in the brain.

So do you want to stay healthy and have a sharp memory even when you are past beyond the age of 60? It is possible to prevent Alzheimer’s and fulfil your dream of a happy retirement. The cure may be as simple as giving yourself some much-needed shut-eye!