As a person ages, their sleep patterns typically change, and they can find it more challenging to fall asleep. However, sleep changes related to Alzheimer’s are more complex.

Alzheimer’s disease causes progressive, irreversible memory loss and affects how individuals think, reason, and behave. It is the most common type of dementia.

As Alzheimer’s progresses, it may lead to sleeping problems that disrupt the person’s daily routine and that of their caregivers. The person may experience various sleep disturbances, including shorter or fragmented sleep, changes to their sleep cycle, and sleep disorders.

This article looks at how and why Alzheimer’s affects sleep. It also provides some sleep management tips that may help with sleep issues relating to Alzheimer’s.

Why does Alzheimer’s affect sleep?

People with Alzheimer’s may experience a range of sleep disturbances, including restless sleep at night and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Experts do not fully understand why Alzheimer’s affects sleep. The relationship is complex, and sleep disturbances may precede the cognitive decline that occurs in people with Alzheimer’s.

Circadian rhythm

Researchers believe Alzheimer’s causes cellular changes in the brain, disrupting the sleep-wake cycle. The body’s circadian rhythm controls this cycle. Changes in the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, also affect sleep.

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is an area of the brain that serves as an internal body clock, driving the circadian rhythm. It responds to light cues that help determine when people are awake and alert and when they feel sleepy.

Experts believe individuals with Alzheimer’s disease may also have damage to the cells in their SCN, causing dysregulation of the sleep-wake cycle.

Brain proteins

The sleep changes in people with Alzheimer’s may relate to a protein called beta-amyloid, a waste product that can build up in the fluid between neurons (nerve cells) in the brain.

Doctors link increases in this protein with impaired brain function. In Alzheimer’s disease, beta-amyloid sticks together, forming amyloid plaques that interfere with communication between brain cells.

Beta-amyloid and sleep

Some studies suggest the brain clears excess beta-amyloid from the brain during sleep. For example, research shows that sleep deprivation causes elevated brain beta-amyloid levels among mice. However, at present, there is a lack of research involving humans.

In one 2018 study, researchers performed PET scans of the brains of 20 healthy participants ages 22 to 72 after a full night’s sleep and after about 31 hours without sleep.

They found that beta-amyloid levels in the brain increased by about 5% following sleep deprivation. The changes happened in the thalamus and hippocampus, which are particularly vulnerable to damage from Alzheimer’s. This may suggest a lack of sleep could contribute to Alzheimer’s.

Tau protein

Alzheimer’s also involves a brain protein called tau, which helps regulate healthy signaling between neuronal cells.

People with Alzheimer’s disease have tangles of tau protein in their brains, indicating damage to nerve cells. As little as one night of sleep deprivation can increase tau levels by as much as 50% in cerebrospinal fluid.

The relationship between beta-amyloid, tau, and Alzheimer’s is complex. Experts understand that high quality sleep allows an individual to clear excess brain proteins, but remain unsure whether sleep disruption prompts Alzheimer’s, aggravates symptoms, and causes disease progression or whether sleep disruption is a consequence of the disease.

Do people with Alzheimer’s sleep more?

People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia often sleep for long periods and may need to sleep during the day.

As Alzheimer’s progresses, it causes an increasing amount of damage to the brain, and the individual often has less energy and begins to lose self-care abilities. A person may feel exhausted after everyday tasks, such as communicating, eating, or trying to make sense of the world around them. People may sleep more during the day as the symptoms worsen.

Additionally, medications that doctors prescribe to treat Alzheimer’s can contribute to sleepiness. These medications may include the following:

• antipsychotics
• antidepressants
• antihistamines
• sleeping pills

Treatments for sleep changes

Treatment options for sleep schedule disruptions due to Alzheimer’s may include:

• maintaining regular routines for meals, going to sleep, and waking up
• getting morning sunlight exposure
• getting regular exercise no later than 4 hours before going to sleep
• effectively treating pain, which may make sleep more difficult
• making sure the bedroom is a comfortable temperature
• having nightlights and other security objects
• only using the bed for sleep

Things to avoid:

To improve sleep, it may also help to avoid the following:

• alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine
• taking certain medications, such as cholinesterase inhibitors, before bedtime
• watching television during periods spent awake

Generally, it is also advisable for those living with Alzheimer’s to avoid taking sleep medications. However, a doctor may recommend these for a short period if sleep problems are severe and other treatments have not helped.

Examples of the medications a doctor may suggest include:

• tricyclic antidepressants
• sleeping pills
• atypical or older antipsychotics

Other effects of Alzheimer’s on sleep

Alzheimer’s can result in a reduction in sleep quality due to the following factors:

• disruption to the circadian rhythm
• confusion
• incontinence
• anxiety

People with Alzheimer’s may have difficulty communicating to their caregivers that something is wrong. For example, they may be unable to tell someone that they are experiencing pain. In this case, the pain may impair their sleep.

Memory loss is the leading symptom of Alzheimer’s, and getting sufficient deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is necessary for memory preservation. People with Alzheimer’s progressively experience shorter durations of deep sleep and REM sleep.

Alzheimer’s effects on sleep may also lead to decreased physical activity, which usually means spending less time in natural sunlight.

Outlook

Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, contributing to more deaths than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive condition. The average life expectancy following diagnosis is 4 to 8 years, but each person’s outlook will depend on individual factors. The person and their caregivers will need support to help them navigate the condition.

Various treatments can address Alzheimer’s symptoms and help an individual manage sleeping difficulties.

Conclusion

We hope you found this article helpful. At LIFEID, we want to help keep you safe. That’s why we recommend one of our medical ID bracelets, Apple watch sleeves, or watch accessories, which can speak for you in the case of an emergency. Our medical IDs can also help keep track of your medications and inform your emergency contacts in an emergency as well. Find out more below:

ABOUT LIFE ID

The Ultimate Medical ID. More Than Just A Few Engraved Lines: Many health conditions require more than a couple words to explain. Each LIFE ID product links to your online profile where you can store unlimited medical information for free

Use Coupon Code 10BUCKSOFF And Get $10 Off Any LIFE ID Today!