Here’s the sleep news for this week:
Sleep apnea linked to smaller brain volume
A new study published in Neurology shows that the part of the brain connected to memory shrinks in people with severe sleep-disordered breathing (such as obstructive sleep apnea), increasing the risk of dementia. This study compared people with no amyloid plaques (a protein deposit that’s an early marker for Alzheimer’s disease) to those with amyloid plaques in their brain, but without memory problems. The study involved 122 people with an average age of 69 who did not show any cognitive declines. A total of 26 people had amyloid plaques in their brains. In the people with amyloid plaques, having more severe sleep apnea was associated with having lower brain volume in the medial temporal lobe area of the brain. This connection was not found in people who did not have amyloid plaques. These results suggests that some people might be more vulnerable to negative effects of sleep apnea, especially people who are in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Potential new treatment for REM sleep behavior disorder
Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs), an existing class of drugs used for chronic insomnia, may also be a cure for rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). RBD, which is usually a precursor to Parkinson’s disease, had been previously very hard to treat, with limited approved prescription options. Researchers collected data from mice when they were awake, as well as in REM and non-REM sleep. They examined length of sleep, transitions from waking to sleep, and how some factors are related to age. Nearly one-third of the older animals showed behaviors similar to REM sleep behavior disorder in humans, including chewing and limb extension.
However, after researchers administered DORA medication twice during a 24-hour period, they noted that the medication not only helped the animals fall asleep faster and for longer, but it also reduced levels of dream enactment, which is a hallmark of RBD.
Scientists zap sleeping humans’ brains with electricity to improve their memory
A study of 18 people with severe epilepsy found that they scored higher on a memory test if they got deep brain stimulation while they slept, according to reporting published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. The stimulation was administered during non-REM sleep, when the brain is thought to strengthen memories it expects to use in the future. It was designed to synchronize the activity in two brain areas involved in memory consolidation: the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. The results showed an improvement in memory accuracy anywhere from 10% to 80%.
In fun sleep-centric news...
Hate the name, love the habit: Bed rotting is the newest Gen Z wellness trend. Gnarly as the term sounds, “bed rotting” simply means hanging out in bed for prolonged stretches. And while we recommend that you only use your bed for sleep and sex, chilling on your super-comfortable sleep setup while you meditate, practice self-care, or unwind can certainly help improve your well-being. All we ask is a name change. Beditation? Bed blissing?
