Posted by 
Sleepy during the day might leads to harmful plaque building in the brain. A hallmark of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of a protein in the brain called beta-amyloid. Sleep clears beta-amyloid, while poor sleep might allow it to build up. Excessive daytime sleepiness may be more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease -related changes.
The link between sleep and beta-amyloid probably exists, beta-amyloid buildup is a sign of Alzheimer’s, it is a sign of other aging processes. Sleep has been proposed to be important for clearance of brain amyloid, disrupted sleep may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease through increased amyloid.
Researchers study different people aged 70 and older who didn’t suffer from dementia. About 22 percent reported having excessive daytime sleepiness when the study began. Study participants completed a survey about sleep and had two brain scans between 2009 and 2016.
The researchers compared the scans in search of changes in the brain and discovered increased beta-amyloids in key brain areas in participants who reported being very sleepy during the day. Sleep is critical for mental health, disturbed sleep may facilitate the development of Alzheimer’s disease or accelerate its progression.
haleplushearty.org