Scientists from the John Monash School of Psychological Sciences and the Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health in Australia found that reducing the duration of deep sleep in people over the age of 60 increased the risk of developing dementia by 27%. Research results published In JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association).
346 men and women over the age of 60 participated in the study. The first two phases of the study began between 1995 and 1998 and 2001 and 2003, respectively. Scientists collected information about the participants’ health conditions and evaluated their sleep quality. In 2018, researchers updated these data.
It turned out that the duration of the slow phase of sleep decreases with age. Slow or traditional sleep takes up approximately 80% of the total rest time. This stage is characterized by a decrease in respiratory rate, heart rate, and slow movements of the pupils. At this time, the central nervous system is in a state of complete rest and cellular restoration processes occur.
Scientists estimate that a 1% reduction in the duration of this phase increases the risk of dementia by 27%. It is likely that the elimination and utilization of metabolic waste in the brain increases during slow-wave sleep. These wastes also include amyloid proteins, which can accumulate in the cerebral cortex and form plaques. These protein clumps are linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
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