22 September 2023 , 19:00
874
0
We all know how important sleep is for our bodies - and there's no worse feeling than waking up from a night of rough sleep, feeling groggy and grumpy. However it's been revealed it's more important than ever to make sure you get that much-needed beauty sleep - as a bad bedtime routine could increase the risk of dementia.
According to renowned TV doctor Michael Mosley, "night after night of poor sleep can raise the risk of dementia" and urges people to shake up their bedtime routine if they are guilty of a bad slumber. Stating that one restless night won't do much damage, he highlights the importance of a good bedtime routine.
He shared how a lack of sleep can lead to a "build-up of toxins in the brain" which could ultimately lead to brain damage. He also explained that when in deep sleep, a "network of channels in your brain, known as the glymphatic system" clears away any toxic waste from the day whilst in restorative sleep.
"Sadly, as we get older, we tend to get less deep sleep, which means that our brains aren't as good at washing away the toxins. Indeed, young people typically have a couple of hours' deep sleep a night, but when you get to my age (66), you're lucky to get 30 minutes," Mosley explained in the Daily Mail.
However, it's not all bad news, as a study done on mice from Binzhou Medical University in China revealed that researchers have managed to identify a protein called pleiotrophin that can protect brain cells from damage by toxins. "When mice were deprived of sleep, their pleiotrophin levels drop," Dr Mosley added. It has given hope that one day scientists will find a way to be able to ramp up pleiotrophin levels to wash away the toxins - but in the meantime, he still urges people to "get an early night to try to maximise the amount of deep sleep you get."
Dr Michael Mosley shares exercise that can cut cholesterol and blood pressure