New Study Finds Deep Sleep May Mitigate Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease

For this study, researchers wanted to dig into the connection between sleep, memory, and beta-amyloid deposits—one of the primary drivers of Alzheimer's disease. To do so, they studied a small sample size of participants who did not have Alzheimer's, half of whom had high amounts of amyloid deposits.

The participants' brain waves were monitored while they slept in a lab using an electroencephalography (EEG) machine. Upon waking, they completed tasks that tested their memory.

Sure enough, among participants with high amounts of amyloid deposits, those who had more deep sleep performed better on the memory tasks than those who didn't sleep as well.

As such, the researchers believe these findings point to deep sleep as a protective factor against memory decline in those with amyloid deposits—even in those who have not been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

The findings of this study are exciting for researchers and everyday people alike because prioritizing sleep is something we can all do to sustain our brain health as we get older.

As researcher Zsófia Zavecz, Ph.D., explains, "With a certain level of brain pathology, you're not destined for cognitive symptoms or memory issues. People should be aware that despite having a certain level of pathology, there are certain lifestyle factors that will help moderate and decrease the effects—one of those factors is sleep and, specifically, deep sleep."

From going to bed and waking up at the same time every day to exercising and limiting caffeine before bed, there are plenty of ways to get more deep sleep every night. It's also worthwhile to take a quality sleep-supporting supplement with ingredients that are research-backed to help you sleep deeper, like magnesium and pharmaGABA. (Here are nine of our favorites, all vetted by a nutrition scientist.)