Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Sleep quality and Alzheimer disease

Patients with Alzheimer's disease often have poor nocturnal sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. In fact, the sleep difficulties at night are a common reason that Alzheimer sufferers are put in nursing homes. Caregivers are unable to stay up at night to ensure their loved one's safety, and then function in the daytime. This study showed that there is a relationship between individuals' sleep quality and Alzheimer disease markers in spinal fluid. I don't full access to the article, so can only comment on the abstract.

This study has some limitations. Participants sleep quality was assessed only via questionnaire, not by objective sleep testing. So it's unclear what is contributing to the reduced sleep quality. Also, the participants were already at risk for Alzheimer disease, having a family history of it. From this study, we can't conclude that poor sleep quality leads to Alzheimer disease. And it's not clear if improving sleep quality would lead to a decrease in the biomarkers for Alzheimer disease.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

"Hacking" your sleep

Yet another article discussing sleep hygiene, but changing the verbiage to make it seem like new information. Using the word "hacks" makes it sound like you can break the sleep "code" and improve sleep quality. Almost all of the items listed are part of good sleep hygiene, and have been around for decades. With that said, I actually think this article is really good, providing useful information in a succinct format that may steer individuals in the right direction to better sleep.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Yoga for sleep

Individuals with insomnia are seeking natural remedies to improve sleep. This article is written by a yoga instructor, as she makes some interesting claims. First, she writes that "sleeplessness" is linked to all sorts of health problems. I wonder if she is confusing sleep deprivation with insomnia. Insomnia, when diagnosed by a doctor, has not been definitively linked to all of the health problems she lists. Sleep deprivation has been studied and data links it to some of the health conditions listed. Sleep deprivation is not the same as insomnia.

Then she writes about her treatment plan for insomnia, which includes yoga poses and breathing. However, no links to studies showing this helps is provided. The one aspect that may help is counting backwards, as this technique may distract individuals from their own thoughts when in bed attempting to fall asleep. The most helpful way to improve insomnia is with a form of psychotherapy, called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).