April 10, 2017.
Deep sleep is the key to physical and cognitive health. From a certain age, the brain would have more difficulty falling into this phase of sleep, which could explain the appearance of certain diseases.
From the age of 30, the quality of sleep decreases
Aging leads to many sleep disorders, and these same disorders are closely linked to the appearance of the first cognitive dysfunctions in the elderly. In any case, this is what researchers at the University of California, in the United States, suggest in a study which has just been published in the journal Neuron.
These researchers observed that from a certain age, not so advanced since the first signs appear as early as 30 years old, the brain would have less and less facilities to generate brain waves and chemicals conducive to entry into this phase of sleep characterized by a decrease in physical and brain activity which involves a decrease in body temperature, heart rate and breathing.
Lack of sleep responsible for most pathologies in the elderly?
However, this deterioration of deep sleep is linked to a large number of pathologies among which, in addition to cognitive degeneration,obesity, diabetes and stroke. In fact, as confirmed by Matthew Walker, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California and lead author of this study, “ almost all the diseases that kill us late in life are related to lack of sleep “.
It now remains to find ways or therapies to improve deep sleep. A process that cannot be regulated with sleeping pills that do not work in favor of restful sleep.
Read also: How to sleep better?
Sybille Latour
