Welcome to the 17th and final episode in our 17-part series on dementia. About 50 million people suffer from dementia worldwide. It is a debilitating disease, but it may be preventable in some cases. So I’ve set out to learn as much as I can and bring you along with me. This is the longest series I’ve ever done on the show and I hope you’ve been pleased with the format. I have certainly learned a lot about dementia. How devastating it can be to victims and families, how difficult it is for doctors to diagnose and treat. There is a sense of hopelessness about this disease, but there is hope, as I think I’ve shown in this series.
Well, this is the final episode in the series, and the last in the episodes about prevention. Sleep seems like the easiest form of prevention there is. But lack of sleep can have a serious impact on mental health. And getting sleep can be harder for people at risk for dementia if they suffer from chronic illness and have poor lifestyle habits.
There is a misconception that seniors need a lot less sleep than younger folks. It’s just not true. I did an episode on sleep over a year ago, it’s episode 179 of the podcast, in which I discussed the different requirements for sleep based on age. There’s a really informative website at sleepfoundation.org. And they now have a Bedtime Calculator app that’s free and can help you get the right amount of sleep. Basically, the rule of thumb is that you need 7-9 hours of sleep to be healthy.
A recent study showed an increase in the protein responsible for the amyloid plaques characteristic of that disease with just one sleepless night. This underscores how important sleep is in preventing dementia. It’s something to really take seriously.
What is so beneficial about sleep anyway? During sleep our brains can take a break from the up-front activity of analyzing all the information around us, remembering stuff, working, and processing all the stimulation we get from the labors of leisure. It’s like a business closed for inventory. Freed of this responsibility for a while, the brain can really ‘get stuff done’ in the mental back office: storing information in the right place, consolidating and organizing memories and processes, throwing out garbage knowledge that we don’t need. By doing this we can increase learning and creative force. Just like a business becomes more efficient after closing for a few days of inventory.
The time during sleep is also used for healing and rebuilding. Muscle synthesis happens during sleep.
Do you feel like you are fine, that you can sleep five or six hours and be fine? Studies show that some people can develop a tolerance to insufficient sleep. But that doesn’t mean that you are just as well without the recommended sleep time. It just means you get used to not getting as much sleep. The damage done is still the same. So what you need to do is to change the habit of less sleep to a habit of sufficient sleep. Get that 7-9 hours every night.
What if you have trouble getting to sleep, or wake up early, or are restless during the night? One suggestion is to prepare for sleep all day. Make choices throughout the day to be sure you are ready to sleep soundly through the night. Some things that can help are:
Exercise. Don’t do vigorous exercise right before you go to bed, which can make it harder to get to sleep. But exercise earlier in the day relieves stress and improves mood, making it easier to sleep. The best time for exercise may be evening, a few hours before you go to bed. Exercise raises your body temperature, and the cooling afterward can be a trigger for sleep. The best type of exercise for sleep is aerobic or cardio.
Light. Our bodies are naturally tuned to the rhythms of nature, including the rising and setting of the sun. Exposing ourselves to light early in the day can help us sleep by reinforcing this connection. If you’re like me you spend a lot of time at the computer and it’s easier on the eyes to be in a dark room. But putting up with a little more light in the morning can pay benefits in easier sleep time.
Stress. This is a part of life. No one has a stress-free existence. It’s a physical mechanism that makes us more alert when we need to be. So the point is not to avoid stress, it’s unavoidable. But we need to manage it. One thing that can keep you from lying awake at night is to try not to procrastinate. I know for me, there’s a constant to-do list in my head, and I never feel completely relaxed when there is something on it I have to continually remember to do some time. This is a habit I definitely need to work on that I think will help me sleep better at night.
Diet. If you’re like me, you tend to go light on breakfast and heavy on supper. The opposite is actually better for good sleep. Eat a substantial breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light supper. Get plenty of water, about an ounce for each two pounds of your weight. It also helps to refrain from consuming caffeine and alcohol late in the day.
Get into a habit of going to bed at the same time each night. Sticking to a schedule will help you naturally get the sleep you need.
Sleep in a cool room, between 60 and 67 degrees.
Remove all electronic devices and any other distractions from the bedroom. Also, keep the room dark, just as you want to have light in the morning. I find that my neighbors tend to have outside lights on all night, so I have to close my blinds to make sure it is nice and dark.
Save your bed for sleep. Don’t watch TV, read, or work on a computer in bed. By saving the bed for sleep, you’ll be intuned to sleeping when you get there.
I hope you have enjoyed this series. As always, I very much appreciate your comments, whether you leave them on youtube, or on the blog at runningafever.com. Or you can email them to me mail@runningafever.com.
References:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/nsf-tool-get-right-amount-sleep
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/why-do-we-need-sleep
Outsmart Dementia. (2020). The latest tools for controlling cognitive health — preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Morton Grove, IL: Publications International, Ltd.