Experts have long preached the importance of a good night’s rest for our health, and though the negative repercussions of sleep deprivation are well-known, we never really knew why sleep was so important. Growing up, we learn that sleep is necessary for healthy brain function, physical health, our own safety, etc., but why? A recent study at the University of Rochester goes a long way towards answering this question.
While observing sleeping mice, Maiken Nedergaard, a professor of neurosurgery at the university, noticed that the flow of cerebrospinal fluid increased exponentially, flushing out harmful toxins that had built up throughout the day. She observed that the brain cells also shrank, allowing for even more fluid to move throughout the brain, removing the waste products. One of the substances removed was beta amyloid, which is a sticky plaque associated with Alzheimer’s.
The biggest implication of the study, assuming that the same toxin-removal process occurs in humans as well, is that insufficient sleep could increase the likelihood of Alzheimer’s later in life.
To better understand what this discovery could mean for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, we contacted Randall Bateman, a neurology professor at Washington University who investigates the causes and potential treatments for Alzheimer’s.
In response to the fear that a lack of sleep might cause Alzheimer’s, Bateman says, “If someone doesn’t sleep as much, it is very possible that less of this amyloid beta is removed and if less is removed, maybe it builds up faster…that could be a major concern.”
It hasn’t yet been determined that the process occurs in humans, though Bateman says a study is being done at Washington University. For now, without further research, it is difficult to say, but Bateman believes it is possible to control sleep in a way that increases the removal of amyloid beta.
“The general idea is that if you can improve the amount or the quality of sleep, that may affect amyloid beta clearance,” he says. “It may even affect production. So that’s the thing we want to test and see how that works.”
Of course, the ultimate goal is to try to prevent Alzheimer’s completely. Bateman continues, “If normalizing and regulating sleep can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, even by a modest amount, 10 or 20 percent, that can be a real health recommendation, where people would be screened for sleep disorders and have strategies to improve sleep. If that could cut the risk of Alzheimer’s in this country by 10 percent that would be half a million people. And who wouldn’t want to get better sleep? What a perfect excuse to get more sleep, to be able to say, ‘I’m sorry; I have to get my sleep tonight so I don’t get Alzheimer’s.’”
