Alzheimer's: Sleep matters 20 years before symptoms
SUBANG JAYA: Brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease were found to begin 15 to 20 years before the onset of noticeable memory loss, making long-term sleep hygiene a critical and early preventive measure.
Alzheimer's disease may begin developing 15 to 20 years before noticeable memory loss, according to Sunway Medical Centre Consultant Neurologist Dr Mohamad Imran Idris. He emphasized that consistent poor sleep patterns over months and years can accelerate neurodegenerative risks. Dr Imran warned that people cannot make up for lost weekday sleep by oversleeping on weekends, as sleep regularity is crucial for clearing brain inflammation.
Deep sleep is when the brain actively eliminates metabolic waste, cellular debris, and inflammation accumulated during the day. Dr Imran highlighted a U-shaped correlation between sleep duration and dementia risk, stating that the optimal amount of uninterrupted sleep is seven to eight hours per night. Too little sleep increases the risk of dementia, while excessive sleep may indicate that someone is already developing the condition.
Women over 65 are at higher risk, with approximately double the number of women as men living with Alzheimer's. Subtle non-cognitive indicators, such as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD), can appear up to a decade before formal diagnosis. In Malaysia, dementia prevalence is rising, with 10% of Malaysians over 60 affected and 33% at 80 and above.
Dr Imran stressed that modern diagnostics and disease-modifying therapies can slow down the disease's progression. He advised healthier lifestyle changes, including managing cardiovascular health, staying active, cognitive training, avoiding smoking, reducing air pollution exposure, and maintaining social engagement to delay the early onset of Alzheimer's symptoms.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
