Alzheimer's Prevention: Sleep Well To Get Rid Of Brain Toxins

Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition that affects many seniors today. According to a recent study, getting a good night’s rest is one way that you can prevent the onset of the disease. It is during sleep that your brain is able to get rid of brain toxins.

A study that was published in the Journal Science revealed that during non-REM sleep, the brain gets rid of toxins, which play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s. The Boston University study was led by Laura D. Lewis, a biomedical engineer.

Importance of Non-REM Sleep

Lewis and her team of researchers found that the phase where a person undergoes a deep, dreamless sleep, the brain is emptied from these toxins that could lead to neurodegenerative diseases. Commonly called “deep sleep,” it is the one that happens earlier at night.

​

People who experience the non-REM phase were also said to have better memory retention. As per studies on Alzheimer’s, memory loss is one of the symptoms of the disease. With better memory retention, the onset of Alzheimer’s is likewise prevented.

Lewis explained that during that phase of deep slumber, waves of cerebrospinal fluid wash throughout the brain. At this stage, neurons start synchronizing, where they switch on and off altogether. When this happens, the “off” neurons denote lesser blood flow in the brain. This then creates a space that the fluid would fill and flush out. It gets rids of the “metabolic byproducts” like beta-amyloid.

The Brain Plaque

These byproducts need to be cleared from the brain, or else they will turn into “brain plaque.” This leads to destroying synapses, which as per a previous study from Stanford, revealed could result in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

“We had a sense each of these metrics was important, but how they change during sleep and how they relate to each other during sleep was uncharted territory for us,” Lewis said to Wired.

She further explained how the participants in the study were attached to the MRI machine. They also wore EEG caps. The researchers were able to track the electrical currents that run through the brain. They hope that their study can lead to certain clinical applications that could help in treating these diseases.