A new study suggests that getting more than six hours of good-quality sleep each night may help slow down or even prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from Murdoch University in Australia found that poor sleep is linked to the faster buildup of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, a key factor in Alzheimer’s progression.
The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, highlights the importance of sleep as a potential way to protect brain health.
How Sleep Affects Alzheimer’s Risk
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory and thinking. It is usually diagnosed in older adults, but scientists know that the disease begins to develop many years before symptoms appear.
One of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s is the buildup of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. These plaques interfere with normal brain function and are believed to play a key role in memory loss and cognitive decline.
The Murdoch University study examined sleep patterns in 189 adults aged 60 to 80 years, all of whom were cognitively healthy at the start of the study. Researchers followed participants for up to six years, using brain scans to track the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques.
Their findings showed that people who reported poor sleep—either in quality or duration—had a faster buildup of beta-amyloid plaques compared to those who got more than six hours of good-quality sleep each night. This suggests that sleep problems may contribute to the early stages of Alzheimer’s, even before memory loss begins.
Why Sleep Matters for Brain Health
Associate Professor Stephanie Rainey-Smith, from Murdoch University’s Center for Healthy Aging, explained that these findings provide new hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
“There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, but our research suggests that improving sleep could be a modifiable risk factor—something we can change to help prevent or delay the disease,” she said.
The study adds to growing evidence that lifestyle factors, such as sleep, diet, and exercise, can influence brain health. It suggests that sleep interventions—such as improving sleep habits or treating sleep disorders—could help reduce Alzheimer’s risk in older adults.
A Step Toward Prevention
Experts believe that focusing on sleep improvement strategies could be an important step in Alzheimer’s prevention. Professor Vicky Vass, CEO of Alzheimer’s Research Australia, emphasized the study’s significance.
“This research highlights the importance of quality sleep for brain health,” she said. “We look forward to learning more about how sleep improvement could help make Alzheimer’s a distant memory.”
Final Thoughts
This study reinforces the idea that sleep is not just important for rest—it plays a critical role in long-term brain health. While Alzheimer’s remains an incurable disease, findings like these suggest that adopting healthy sleep habits may be one way to help protect the brain and delay cognitive decline.
For those looking to improve their sleep quality, simple changes—such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, reducing screen time before bed, and creating a comfortable sleep environment—could be beneficial.
As research continues, scientists hope to better understand how sleep can be used as a tool to fight Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease , and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
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