The Sleep-Alzheimer’s Connection: What New Research Reveals

People know that bad sleep can lead to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). But, there’s not much information about how good sleep affects this illness.

Some people, called Familial Natural Short Sleepers (FNSS), sleep less but don’t seem to have problems with their thinking. This might mean that they sleep better. Scientists had found the gene variants that correlated with these traits.

Scientists studied two of these specific genetic changes called DEC2-P384R and Npsr1-Y206H in mice that are similar to FNSS humans. They looked at these changes and how they relate to AD.

The study found that mice with the FNSS genes had less of Tau pathology or damage in a brain area called the hippocampus.

That’s good news for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as these amyloid plaques are harmful clumps in the brain which can also lead to AD. The study found that mice with the FNSS genes had fewer of these harmful clumps at 6 months old.

Conclusion and Implication for our Wellbeing:

This study shows that certain genes connected to better sleep quality can protect against Alzheimer’s Disease in mice. This could mean that these genes, which cause shorter but better sleep, might protect people too.

If this holds true for humans, then understanding how to improve sleep quality might help us fight Alzheimer’s Disease. This discovery could lead to better health and wellbeing for many people, especially as they age. Finding ways to improve sleep could become an important part of preventing this challenging and heartbreaking disease.

References:

• Mutant neuropeptide S receptor reduces sleep duration with preserved memory consolidation
• Familial natural short sleep mutations reduce Alzheimer pathology in mice