Are You Getting Enough Sleep? Experts Say It's Essential If You Want To Prevent Neurological Conditions

According to existing research on sleep, we know that the glymphatic system is a system in the body that helps "flush" waste from the brain when we sleep. At the ANA annual meeting, researcher and neuroscience expert Maiken Nedergaard, MD, DMSc, presented her recent analysis on glymphatic system research as it relates to disease.

The glymphatic system works by bringing cerebrospinal fluid to the brain while we sleep, which removes protein waste products like tau proteins and amyloid beta—which are well known risk factors for Alzheimer's and dementia.

And for starters, Nedergaard notes, there appears to be a bidirectional relationship between sleep and the glymphatic system, and neurological conditions. Namely, she writes, cardiovascular, neurological, and several inflammatory diseases have all been shown to worsen glymphatic function—as does chronic stress and aging in general.

Further, this toll on the glymphatic system predisposes individuals to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

According to Nedergaard, “Sleep is serious business, likely as important as exercising and avoiding smoking and excess weight gain. It’s important to develop good sleep habits because poor sleep accelerates neurological diseases and neurological diseases worsen sleep quality.” 

To that end, one of the best things you can do for your overall sleep hygiene is to maintain a consistent sleep/wake schedule—that is, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.

Research also shows that exercising regularly is a good way to prime the body and brain for deep sleep. In one analysis of existing exercise and sleep studies1, researchers write, "Exercise promoted increased sleep efficiency and duration regardless of the mode and intensity of activity" in middle-aged and elderly adults.