Why sleep is important

Have you ever thought about how your brain gets rid of waste or toxins—the waste products of its daily metabolic activities? You probably know the organs that do that job for your body. The liver is the main site but the lungs, kidneys and skin chip in.  There is also the lymphatic system, an array of channels that absorb fluid from your tissues and pass the fluid (lymph) through your lymph nodes for cleansing (by the lymphocytes). However, until recently, the brain was not thought to have a lymphatic system. It was believed that the brain was bathed and cleansed by the cerebrospinal fluid through a slow and cumbersome process. That is, until 2012, when a fascinating discovery was made by Jeffrey Iliff et al., at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  By studying the brains of live mice, they discovered a clearance system that functions like a lymphatic system. They named it the glymphatic system because glial cells (support cells) are involved in the process. You can read more about this system at Scientists Discover Previously Unknown Cleansing System in Brain | URMC Newsroom

What does this have to do with sleep and dementia? Several points:

1) The glymphatic system is most active during sleep.

2) The metabolic waste produced by the brain needs to be cleared efficiently or it will accumulate and damage neurons. These toxins include proteins like amyloid‑β and tau, which accrete in Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Iliff et al., demonstrated that the glymphatic system in animals removes amyloid and new evidence shows that there may be a similar sleep-active glymphatic function in humans. The glymphatic system clears amyloid beta and tau from brain to plasma in humans | Nature Communications

3) Shortened sleep over time is associated with an increased risk of dementia, although not proven causal.  Association of sleep duration in middle and old age with incidence of dementia | Nature Communications

4) At this time, sleep is considered a potential modifiable risk factor for dementia and sleep problems should be evaluated and treated.

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Studies have shown that 7-9 hours of sleep per night is optimal because needing more than 9 hours a night, on a regular basis, could signal the presence of a medical or sleep problem.

think about it:

Would you rather wait for more research, or would you rather get a good night’s sleep now?

If you find yourself snoring and gasping for air at night and falling asleep during the day, would you rather wait to get a consultation with a sleep specialist or get a consult now?