Sleeping longer than 8.5 hours a night may be a sign of Alzheimer’s
“A lot of people worry about whether their sleep habits are affecting their brain health,” corresponding author Vanessa M. Young, PhD, MS, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, said in a press release.
“Because this is a snapshot in time rather than a long-term study, we cannot say that long sleep causes Alzheimer’s, but the findings suggest it may be worth monitoring, and that more sleep is not always better for brain health,” Young noted.
The observational study allowed researchers to identify a link, but not prove any causation between long sleep and p-tau181.
It is equally possible that the sleep changes are a result of early neurodegeneration, rather than a cause of it, as Allder explained.
According to him: “Many dementia specialists believe this is one of the most likely explanations. Alzheimer’s disease begins silently in the brain 15 to 20 years before symptoms appear, and the earliest pathological changes may affect areas involved in regulating the sleep–wake cycle. As a result, people may gradually begin sleeping for longer before they notice any memory problems.”
“To determine whether long sleep is a cause or an early symptom, researchers need prospective studies that recruit cognitively healthy individuals, measure Alzheimer’s biomarkers at baseline and then follow changes in sleep over many years,” he added.
“Dementia is influenced by a complex relationship of genetics, vascular health, lifestyle and aging. Sleep is one piece of that puzzle, and maintaining good sleep hygiene, alongside routine physical activity, cardiovascular risk reduction and cognitive stimulation, remains one of the most sensible strategies for promoting long-term brain health.”
– Steven Allder, MD
