Alzheimer's Disease Possibly Linked To Sleep Deprivation

sonnejw0 writes "NewScientist is reporting a link between sleep deprivation and Alzheimer's Disease via an increased amyloid-beta plaque load thought responsible for a large part of the symptoms of the disease, in mice. Medication to abrogate insomnia reduced the plaque load. Also discussed is a recently discovered sleep cycle of amyloid-beta deposition in the brain, in which levels decrease while asleep. 'Holtzman also tried sending the mice to sleep with a drug that is being trialled for insomnia, called Almorexant. This reduced the amount of plaque-forming protein. He suggests that sleeping for longer could limit the formation of plaques, and perhaps block it altogether.'"

Comments

Re:Implications for other Mental Diseases?

[retech]

I dunno, I'm not so sure I'd call those diseases tragic. I find the rest of the world's 16 hr waking days terribly boring and pity their lack of creativity and productivity. Granted some people don't cope well with BP and Schizophrenia and they make the news (so to speak) but many people manage well and use it to their advantage.

I do hope that only sleeping 3.5 hrs a day (on average) for my entire life won't have the detrimental payback of Alzheimer's. But, then again, there is a price to pay for everything. I enjoy the longer days. The quiet when you sleep and I can work in peace is wonderful. I've never seen any ill effects of low sleep. I only feel fatigued or tired if I get less than 2 hrs. Anything over 5 hrs and I feel like shit for the next day (EG: listless, slower motor response time, impaired cognition).