Although many mysteries remain about Alzheimer’s disease, researchers are convinced enough of the link between lack of sleep and worsening of the disease to multiply studies on the topic.
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Published March 8, 2023 in The Journal Annals of NeuroscienceSomeone made an interesting discovery, Science Alert reports.
The study showed that using sleeping pills for sleep can reduce the buildup of toxic protein clumps in the fluid that cleanses the brain each night.
The small study lasted only two nights. 38 participants participated.
By giving suvorexant, a common treatment for insomnia, to the participants, the researchers found that they experienced slight decreases in two proteins, beta-amyloid and tau protein, which build up at the site of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers believe that promoting sleep could be a way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, by allowing the sleeping brain to get rid of leftover proteins and other waste from the day.
While sleeping pills can be helpful in this regard, “it would be too soon for people worried about developing Alzheimer’s disease to interpret this as a reason to start taking suvorexant every night,” says neurologist Brendan Lucy, MD, of the University of Washington Sleep Center. medicine that led the research.
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