Sleep Alzheimers Disease and Yoga

by Nina

Sun Behind Clouds by Melina Meza

One of the worst fears I think we all share about getting older is of developing dementia. Just recently I had a long phone conversation with a woman who is trying to deal with a mother in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, and it was just so sad. I had some advice for her, but no solutions, of course. Then I heard a news piece on NPR “Brains Sweep Themselves Clean of Toxins During Sleep”  that gave me  glimmer of hope.

For a very long time, scientists have been trying to figure out the purpose of sleep. Now, a recent study “Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain”  by University of Rochester researchers that was published in Science Magazine proposed a fascinating new theory about sleep. The researchers discovered that while you are asleep, your brain clears out harmful toxins! During sleep there is a dramatic increase in flow of cerebrospinal fluid in your brain, and this washes away the toxic waste proteins that built up in your brain when you were awake. Professor of Neurosurgery and an author of the study, Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, said in the NPR interview, "It's like a dishwasher."

The researchers said that this cleansing process may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's because the waste proteins being washed away are toxic to brain cells. This potentially explains why it is hard to think clearly after you've had a sleepless night and why prolonged lack of sleep can actually kill people and other animals. According to the researchers, this cleansing of waste products during sleep maybe be the very reason we need to sleep! 

“Thus, the restorative function of sleep may be a consequence of the enhanced removal of potentially neurotoxic waste products that accumulate in the awake central nervous system.” Lulu Xie, et al.

Alzheimer's Disease researchers say this research could help explain a number of recent findings on the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer's. Dr. Randall Bateman, Professor of Neurology  at Washington University, said the following about beta amyloid (the main component of certain deposits found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's Disease):

"Beta amyloid concentrations continue to increase while a person is awake. And then after people go to sleep that concentration of beta amyloid decreases. This report provides a beautiful mechanism by which this may be happening.”

The researchers discovered the cleaning process when they studied the brains of mice as they slept. Dr. Nedergaard said that during sleep the system that circulates cerebrospinal fluid through the brain and nervous system was "pumping fluid into the brain and removing fluid from the brain in a very rapid pace.” In addition, when the mice went to sleep, their brain cells shrank, which made it easier for the fluid to circulate. Then, when the mice woke up, their brain cells enlarged again and the circulation of fluid slowed dramatically.

The researchers speculated that the reason your brain doesn’t clean itself while you are awake is because this type of cleaning uses a lot of energy. So it's probably not possible for your brain to clean itself while at the same time it is keeping you aware of your surrounding and allowing you to move, talk, and so on. 

Now we already know that getting enough sleep is vital for our physical and mental health, but if the purpose of sleep is to wash our brains clean of toxins, getting enough sleep may also be a key to keeping your brain healthy and preventing Alzheimer’s Disease as you age.

But what does all this have to do with yoga? Well, if you’re having trouble sleeping, yoga can help with that. Because insomnia is so often related to stress, yoga’s stress management techniques can help you quiet your nervous system so you fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly. For  information on how yoga can help you sleep better, see Yoga for Insomnia, Part 1, Day to Night: Yoga for Better Sleep, and Five Tips for Better Sleep. The Supported Inverted poses I wrote about recently (see All About Supported Inversions) are poses that I've found particularly helpful.

We’re so careful here at YFHA not to make any false promises and of course as this research is new, we can’t promise that getting enough sleep will definitely make a difference for you. But encouraging you to get a good night’s sleep can’t be harmful in any way, and if this gives you more motivation to practice stress management techniques, which are helpful for preventing a whole host of health problems, we’re doing you a favor. And if you'd like to add an additional practices to encourage brain health, start meditating on a regular basis (see Meditation and Brain Strength) and keep practicing your yoga asanas (see Yoga for Brain Health?). 

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How To Choose The Best Sleep Apnea Centers

By Jerri Perry

Whenever you may be having a hard time in dealing with a snoring spouse, there will be many choices that will be available for you. Before you will be frustrated and disappointed with them, you have to choose the best sleep apnea centers. Because of this, you will be surprised and amazed that the problems will be reduced.

If you would bring them in any of these places, they would be checked regarding their sleeping patterns. These disorders would certainly cause them and the people around them some effects. Whenever you think that they might be suffering this particular problem, it must be given proper attention to somehow prevent it from being worse.

This certain disorder may happen when there will be a sudden halt in the breathing pattern while sleeping. Generally, the breaks will often last for around ten up to thirty seconds and therefore the body will lack the right supply of oxygen. During these breaks, the patient will end up gasping and choking for air.

Some of the important organs of the body will need oxygen so that they can properly do its functions. Sleeping is an important activity that will be needed by the entire body in order to rejuvenate the power and energy that may have been lost. Thus, you have to do some things so that apnea will not interfere with these activities.

Normally, the sufferers of these problems will not feel relaxed. Furthermore, they will have a hard time in keeping and staying up because they will often experience drowsiness and dizziness. In some of the centers, the entire patterns will be carefully assessed and evaluated by some of the expert practitioners.

Any doctor may really carry out different tests and also research on the whole problem. They may give all their patients a specific CAT scan that may provide a clear view of ones organs and bodies. With this, it may be simpler for them to either evaluate and assess all of the results it could bring. These could be used in identifying any irregular structures of such system.

In this scan as well, the doctor can find out what will be the issues and how these can be treated. They will base their diagnosis on the results that will be obtained from the tests as well. Typically, the specialists will give you any advice and recommendations that will help prevent snoring and the sudden pauses in breathing.

You could even select from some of the therapies or the treatments that would be given. Make sure you would check this beforehand so that you would ensure excellent services from them. If they would be using any state of the art resources, there would be greater chances of being cured from some of the issues.

Whenever you would be looking for the perfect sleep apnea centers, there would be several things that you must consider. There would be some specialists over the web that could give you an assessment on some costs or expenses of the overall sessions. Because of such, you would not be wasting money, time and effort in looking for them since you could have it done in your homes.

About the Author:

Read more about How To Pick The Ideal Sleep Apnea Centers.

Sleep Apnea Help Provided By Chicago Insomnia Center

By Malinda Klosterman

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that affects many people around the globe. It is characterized by the pausing, or infrequent or shallow breathing habits of a person during sleep. Each pause in the sleep is known as apnea. This can last for seconds up to minutes, and may occur numerous times during the night. Chicago insomnia help is offered to people in the area through numerous facilities and professionals.

There is help available for those suffering with this problem. The professionals that work at sleep medicine centers are knowledgeable about this disorder. They are available for support and guidance when it comes to handling this disorder. Generally, the process will begin by assessing a patient. This involves monitoring their behaviors during sleep to get a better idea of what apnea they are dealing with.

A lot of different solutions might be employed for help with this problem. The kind that is used is often relative to the patients and the choice of the doctor. There is surgery, medications, oral appliances, continuous positive airway pressure and neurostimulation that are examples of things used for managing apnea.

Alternative practices can also be used to get rid of apnea. Professionals at these medical facilities can give patients the details on the many options available to them for care. Likewise, they can suggest what plan they recommend for each patients.

Left untreated, this apnea disorder can create more problems. It is known to be a serious medical condition that is linked to a handful of complications. These complications include, but are not limited to: day-time fatigue, liver problems, sleep deprivation of partners, heart problems and high blood pressure.

The sleep centers are the ideal place for a person with apnea to get help. These are located in many regions around the world, including the state of Chicago. This is where patients can learn more about the disorder and how it can be managed. The results of the care that is issued by these facilities will range, but it is important that all procedures are done under medical supervision.

About the Author:

Find a review of the advantages you get when you visit a sleep medicine center and more information about a Chicago insomnia treatment professional at http://www.sleepmedcenter.com now.