Changes in elderly sleep patterns may be linked to dementia

Does your older relative have problems sleeping during the night? While an all-natural supplement by Dr. Newton’s Naturals like CalMax Sleep can be an excellent way to promote a restful night’s sleep, if he or she hasn’t tried this potent blend, quality shut-eye may be hard to come by.

But did you know that new research suggests poor sleeping habits in older adults may be linked to mental deterioration and the development of Alzheimer’s disease?

According to recent studies presented on July 16 at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, restless sleep may be an early warning sign of the condition, reports Bloomberg News.

“It’s important for clinicians to start asking about sleep, because it’s important for lots of outcomes, including cognitions,” said lead study author Elizabeth Devore, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

According to the source, in the first report, 15,000 women age 70 and older were examined every other year for a period of six years. Participants who slept five hours or less scored lower on cognitive tests than those who slept for seven or more hours per day.

Over 400 women were targeted for an additional study. These participants donated blood samples from which researchers were able to gauge that those who slept five hours a day or less or, conversely, nine hours a day or more, possessed abnormal levels of beta amyloid, which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that 5.4 million Americans are presently living with the condition, which is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Of that figure, an estimated 800,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related illnesses live alone, which can make early warning signs like sleep irregularity go undetected by family and friends.

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