Sleep: Essential for Brain Health and Neurodegeneration Prevention through Advanced Technologies

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), for example, shared that people who slept six hours or less at night had a higher chance of developing dementia later in life.

Sleep directly affects your brain health. In fact, a 2024 scientific study states:

“…sleep can predict neurodegeneration….”

Today, we have discovered that sleep is important for daily recovery. More importantly, it plays a crucial role in the long-term health of your brain and neurological function. There are numerous studies and research that highlight the link between sleep deprivation and neurodegenerative diseases.

Sadly, more than 50 million people in the United States have a sleep disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Moreover, we also found out that one-third of adults in the US also report insomnia symptoms.

Let’s take a better look at how sleep controls your body’s ability to recover from all the daily hard work and improve brain health – while preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

What Happens When You Sleep?

Sleep is the most important factor in your overall health and brain function. When you sleep, your brain performs what experts call “restorative” processes. This includes the following:

• Synaptic Pruning (Cleaning Up) – When you go to sleep, your brain moves everything you learned during the day from “short-term” memory into “long-term” memory
• Memory Consolidation (Memory Boost) – Your brain gets rid of all the extra neural connections that you don’t need anymore.
• Waste Clearance (Removing Trash) – Your brain removes all the waste (beta-amyloid and tau proteins) that gathered while you were awake.

In simple words, when you sleep, your body activates the process of removing toxins from your brain. It is the glymphatic system that does this job. It is responsible for flushing out amyloid-beta and tau proteins – and surprisingly, both are linked to neurodegenerative diseases.

What is the Role of Sleep in Brain Health?

Good quality sleep is what keeps your brain healthy. NIH shared detailed resources and studies on this. It confirmed that good sleep leads to three important things for a healthier life: better mood, better brain performance, and better overall health.

Your sleep controls the chemicals in the brain. These chemicals are called “neurotransmitters” – very important for brain function because they act as chemical messengers between the brain (neurons) and muscles.

When you don’t have enough sleep, you start losing the quality of neurotransmitters. In simple words, there’s a disbalance. And that is what leads to problems like poor concentration and memory – which you may already know. But there are other short-term and long-term effects too.

Short-Term Problems

Did you know that you can start hallucinating when you don’t get enough sleep? A scientific study confirms that and also indicates that you will experience a lack of focus due to a lack of sleep. Moreover, it will also make it difficult to concentrate and remember things, even in the present.

Long-Term Risks

Then, there are serious neurodegeneration risks that come with sleep deprivation. Sleeping for six hours or less increases the chances of dementia by 30% in adults (American Journal of Preventive Medicine).

On the other hand, missing out on sleep can also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s (and Parkinson’s). Both are both chronic brain diseases. In fact, a study confirms that and indicates that sleep deprivation can lead to other chronic sleep disorders and brain diseases as well.

Start Getting Deep Sleep – Here’s Why

Deep sleep is a state. Many scientists and sleep experts call it “slow-wave sleep” or SWS. It is important for brain health because it helps your brain stay in an adaptable condition.

That means your brain gets a performance and memory boost during deep sleep. In this state, your brain also builds better neural networks (connections). As a result, this improves your ability to learn new things and remember them.

The Link Between Neurodegeneration and Sleep Deprivation

So, what else happens when you don’t get enough sleep? Think of it this way: when you don’t recharge your phone, or laptop, or any other electronic device of that sort, it won’t work properly. In fact, it might not work at all.

Your body – which is way more complex than a typical electronic device that we use every day – requires a specific amount of time to recharge as well. It helps you recover from daily activities like work, study, cleaning, and exercising.

But if your body does not get to recharge, you cannot sustain healthy energy levels to go on with the same routine the next day. However, this sleep deprivation can lead to an even bigger issue than low energy levels.

Neurodegenerative Diseases – How Sleep Links to Them

There’s a range of neurodegenerative diseases in the world. They are conditions in which your brain starts losing healthy brain cells over time. As a result, this affects your memory, movement, and lots of other important brain functions. Some of the common neurodegenerative diseases include:

• Alzheimer’s
• Parkinson’s
• Huntington’s

Now, we have extensive research available on the internet. Some of it confirms that sleep quality and quantity have a strong link to these diseases.

The Risk of Neurodegenerative Diseases

When you don’t get enough sleep – or good quality of sleep – your brain cannot clear out the waste products. These include the amyloid-beta and tau proteins, among other chemical components of your brain.

And, when the neuronal waste starts increasing in your brain it affects the overall brain health, and then, its functions. It leads to poor energy levels. Also, it can slow or worsen neural activity in your brain. This can deteriorate healthy brain functions.

The Latest Technologies to Improve Sleep and Prevent Neurodegeneration

Luckily, we have advanced technology to help us create good sleeping habits. That way, we can improve our brain health. Here’s how:

Wearable Sleep Trackers

You might have heard or seen – or even used – wearable devices like Fitbit and Oura Rings. They can monitor your sleep patterns and give you detailed insights about your sleeping routine. How long you were in the light, deep, and REM sleep – you’ll be surprised with all the vitals they can track too.

Smart Mattresses

Then, we have smart mattresses like the Eight Sleep Pod, for example. These types of mattresses do a great job of promoting good quality sleep. For instance, they do that by adjusting the temperature throughout the night. When the sleeping conditions are optimal, your body can get the rest it needs and improve brain health too.

Grounding Sheets

We also have emerging technologies like some of the best grounding sheets. These devices serve a single, but very interesting, purpose: connecting your body with the Earth’s electric charge. As a result, you may be able to improve sleep quality and reduce inflammation and stress during your rest.

AI-Powered Sleep Apps

We also have digital applications that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. These apps use AI to track your sleep patterns and then, they give interesting and personalized recommendations. Using those tips, you might be able to improve your sleeping routine – and habits.

Conclusion

Sleep is important because it refreshes your brain and helps it remove toxins (neuronal waste). It keeps your mind sharp. So, getting good quality sleep – and for enough hours – is important for your brain health.

Good sleep is directly related to a healthy brain. Moreover, scientific evidence and numerous research also confirm that good quality sleep can prevent conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

To start practicing healthy sleeping habits, you can use the latest technology solutions to improve your sleep. You can switch to smart mattresses and the best grounding sheets for a comfortable sleep.

When you make sleep a priority, it automatically benefits your long-term brain function and overall health.