Dementia: Insomnia and sleep medications puts a higher risk of developing the condition

Sleep disturbances are common among people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, including changes in sleep schedule and restlessness and wandering during the night. It has been reported that up to 45 per cent of people with dementia may have sleep problems. Many people with Alzheimer’s wake up more often and stay awake longer during the night. Those who cannot sleep may wander, be unable to lie still, yell or call out, disrupting sleep of their caregivers.

Experts estimate that in late stages of Alzheimer’s, individuals spend about 40 per cent of their time in bed at night awake and a significant part of their daytime sleeping.

This sleep disruption can lead to more behavioural problems. Research suggest that poor sleep habits in mid and late life may increase the risk for developing dementia.

Doctor Maria Carillo from Alzheimer’s Association said: “Research has shown us that not getting enough sleep because of insomnia or sleep apnea may result in problems with memory and thinking, and increase the risk for Alzheimer’s related brain changes.

“The new findings we discovered are important because disrupted sleep patters not only put the overall health of people with dementia at further risk, they may also worsen their memory loss and disrupted thinking.”

New research is evaluating drug and non-drug treatments to improve sleep patterns in persons with Alzheimers disease and other dementia.

Sleep disruption is a common behavioural challenge that significantly reduces quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers/family members.

Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “While previous research has highlighted a potential link between a particular class of sleep medication and dementia risk, these studies looked at lots of different types of sleep medication that work in different ways.

“The findings don’t tell us whether using sleep medications increases the risk of dementia, whether underlying sleep problems might be driving increased risk, or whether other factors may be at play.

“The findings highlight potential differences in the relationship between sleep medications and dementia in men and women and between racial groups. It is important for scientists to explore how medications may affect different groups of people so that people receive the treatments that are right for them.

“Anyone who is experiencing sleep problems or who has questions about their sleep medication should speak to their doctor.”

When it comes to approaches to treating sleep problems in people with dementia, new research has discovered a potential drug treatment and personalised behavioural therapy for sleep disruptions in people with dementia. This was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Doctor Imarisio added: “A bad night’s sleep candle our thinking, making it hard to concentrate, and have a negative effect on our wellbeing.

“Sleep problems are particularly common in people living with dementia, and treating this symptom presents a valuable opportunity to improve their quality of life.

Our hope is that, by improving sleep quality, we can contribute to preventing further cognitive decline in older adults with MCI, but more research is needed to test this possibility

Doctor Ryan Falck from the University of British Columbia

“While these treatments seem to improve sleep quality in people with memory and thinking problems, larger and longer trials will need to determine whether these approaches could have wide benefits for people living with dementia.”

Doctor Ryan Falck from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada added: “Our hope is that, by improving sleep quality, we can contribute to preventing further cognitive decline in older adults with MCI, but more research is needed to test this possibility.”

Symptoms of early dementia include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, disorientation, problems with language, misplacing things and changes in mood and behaviour. If you suspect you might have early dementia, it is crucial that you speak to your GP about further tests.

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