New Study Shows This Nightly Habit May Be the Key to Dementia Prevention

Brain health is integral to not just a long life, but a good quality of life at any age. While most of us know that a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are important ways to keep our brains healthy and prevent dementia, there’s another key to keeping our minds sharp that a lot of us may not be good at doing regularly. Find out what it is, why it’s difficult and how to remedy it.

Related: The Unexpected Early Dementia Sign You Might Miss, According to Neurologists

Doing This May Be the Key to Dementia Prevention, Per New Study

Getting a good night’s sleep regularly is crucial to keeping your brain healthy.

According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, older adults who are experiencing sleepiness or fatigue during the day could be at higher risk for dementia. Researchers found that 35% of study participants who experienced extreme daytime sleepiness as well as a lack of enthusiasm developed motoric cognitive risk syndrome, a predementia condition that includes a decline in cognitive health and a slower gait. This is compared to 6.7% of study participants who did not experience daytime sleepiness but went on to get motoric cognitive risk syndrome.

What exactly is the connection between daytime sleepiness and dementia? And how do you know if your fatigue is a symptom of dementia or just part of getting older? Keep reading to find out what a neurologist says.

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The Link Between Sleep and Dementia

Dr. Meredith Bock, MD, a board-certified neurologist and the chief medical officer at Remo Health, explains that there is a connection between dementia and sleep disturbances, which can include feeling tired during the day. “Dementia can alter the brain’s natural sleep-wake cycle, which is the ‘internal clock’ that tells your body when to feel awake and when to go to sleep. When a person is living with dementia, their brain’s chemistry and networks change. For some people living with dementia, these changes can impact their body’s regulation of this natural rhythm,” Dr. Bock explains.

Dr. Bock adds that anxiety and mood changes are also symptoms commonly experienced by people living with dementia, noting, “These conditions can make it harder to relax, fall asleep or go back to sleep if a person with dementia wakes up at night.”

Besides the new Neurology journal study, other studies show a connection between dementia and sleep disturbances. An estimated 60% to 70% of people with cognitive impairment or dementia have sleep disturbances, according to a scientific article published in the journal Seminars Neurology. Another study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that sleep disturbances may predict an increased risk of dementia.

The new study showed a connection between daytime sleepiness and motoric cognitive risk syndrome. “People with motoric cognitive risk syndrome are at a higher risk of developing dementia compared to those without it,” Dr. Bock sald us, adding that a diagnosis can be an important early warning sign that allows for regular monitoring of cognitive function and lifestyle interventions to promote cognitive health for as long as possible.

“The relationship between sleep disruption, mood changes, fatigue and risk of developing a cognitive disorder is complex. Daytime sleepiness and motoric cognitive risk syndrome can both be early signs of a neurodegenerative disorder that causes dementia,” Dr. Bock says. However, she also points out that the study did not factor in depression as a possible cause, something else that can lead to fatigue.

Related: The Surprising Symptom That May Be an Early Sign of Dementia, According to New Study

How to Know If Daytime Sleepiness Is Tied to Dementia

Perhaps you’re wondering how to know if daytime sleepiness is truly a predictor or symptom of dementia. After all, there are all sorts of reasons why someone may feel tired during the day. “It’s normal for all of us to feel tired more quickly as our body ages. However, fatigue during the day is a common symptom experienced by people in the later stages of dementia or even earlier with certain types of dementia, such as Lewy body dementia, due to changes in the brain that can alter a person’s ability to regulate their energy levels,” Dr. Bock says.

She explains that during the later stages of dementia, people often spend a lot of time sleeping, including during the day. “In addition, everyday tasks such as getting dressed or doing house chores can take more cognitive and physical effort for a person with dementia. This increased effort could explain why some people with dementia feel more fatigued during the day,” she explained.

Related: The Surprising Dementia Symptom You May Be Able to Notice in the Shower

Because of this, it’s also important to consider the other symptoms of dementia, which include increased confusion, memory loss, difficulty learning something new, difficulty organizing your thoughts, shortened attention span, trouble completing tasks you used to do easily, trouble recognizing family or friends, inappropriate emotional outbursts, feeling restless and making anxious and repetitive statements or movements. If you are experiencing daytime sleepiness in addition to some of these other symptoms, it’s a good idea to tell your healthcare provider.

Even if your daytime sleepiness isn’t a symptom of dementia, it’s still a good idea to see your doctor about it. Dr. Bock says that it could be a symptom of medication, sleep apnea, thyroid imbalance or hormonal imbalance.

What’s most important to remember is that dementia doesn’t have just one cause or one symptom. So instead of freaking out if you start yawning every day around 2 p.m., talk to your doctor about what could be going on. That way, you won’t be up all night worrying!

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