Are You at Risk for Dementia?

Did you know that adults who sleep fewer than 6 hours a night are at higher risk for dementia and cognitive decline?

That’s a scary thought!

I’ve noticed that as I get older, I’m experiencing more “mental lapses” and moments of forgetfulness, and it’s super frustrating! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a room on a mission to find something and completely forgot what I was looking for. Can you relate?

You can do many things to reduce the risk of dementia, and getting the right amount of sleep is one of them.

Our brains accumulate various kinds of metabolic “gunk” throughout the day. These metabolic waste products can build up as plaque around neurons and interfere with how they transmit information to each other. It’s thought that this greater amount of metabolic “burden” in the brain is a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.

The good news is that deep and REM sleep flushes out the waste particles. We get most of our deep sleep in the first half of the night, so even if your nightly rest is cut short, the brain will still clear some of the waste, but if you want to maximize the amount of “gunk” your brain will clear out each night, make sure you get the recommended 7-9 hours per night.