Protect yourself from Alzheimer’s while you sleep

Woman sleeping on white backgroundby Fred Pescatore, M.D.

I can’t stress this enough: Sleep is a critical component of your health. The health benefits go well beyond just feeling physically alert on a daily basis. Unfortunately, sleep is often overlooked in our always-on-the-go world.

But the quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity. And getting uninterrupted rest is just as critical as clocking in the right number of hours. In fact, a recent study indicates that people have trouble sleeping through the night have a higher Alzheimer’s risk than those who don’t.

The researchers studied older men, who were initially 50 years old, between the years 1970 and 2010. (Yes, a 40-year follow-up period—talk about thorough.) Self-reported sleep disturbances were shown to increase Alzheimer’s risk by 1.5 fold (or 50 percent). And that risk increased with age.

We know that a good night’s rest supports brain health in general. But now we can go one step further, to recommend getting your zzz’s as a possible guard against Alzheimer’s.

What a difference ONE night can make…

Just as interesting: in an earlier article, the same researchers noted that just one night of sleep deprivation (this time in young men) increased levels of molecules that typically show up in cases of brain damage.

I realize, of course, that getting a good night’s sleep may be easier said than done for many people. After all, doctors doled out more than 60 million prescriptions for sleep aids in 2011 alone.

But turning to Ambien or one of its over-the-counter cousins isn’t the best solution.

Catch more zzz’s…naturally

Here are two nutritional supplements I prescribe to sleepless patients instead:

  • 5-HTP. This will induce drowsiness at bedtime. But it also works on neurotransmitter levels by raising serotonin and other key chemicals in your brain. This helps to regulate your body’s sleep/wake cycle, as well as to support your adrenal glands.

    Safe and effective doses range anywhere from 100 mg to 5,000 mg at bedtime. (Though most people don’t need more than 1,000 mg.) It’s a big range, but start with the smallest dose and work your way up, 100 mg at a time, until you notice a difference in how quickly and easily you’re able to drift off to sleep.

    If it happens the first night, great! But don’t fret if it takes a couple of weeks. 5-HTP is very safe.

  • SAM-e. This amazing amino acid helps regulate neurotransmitters. And they’re just as important as your hormones in the pursuit of deep, restorative sleep. In fact, neurotransmitters send critical messages that regulate your body’s biological rhythms. I recommend 400 mg every morning.

    Unless you’re already taking antidepressant medications, 5-HTP and SAM-e should form the core of your sleep-restoring supplement regimen.

My practice is full of people who get incredible sleep every single night without dangerous drugs. It can happen for you, too.

I recently included a chapter on improving the quality of your sleep in my latest book, The Natural Healing “Master List.” It’s free when you subscribe to my newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives. Click here for details on how you can reserve your copy.

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Dr. Fred Pescatore is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, The Hamptons Diet and the No. 1 best-selling children’s health book, Feed Your Kids Well, amongst others. He is the President of the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists, a member of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine, and belongs to many other professional organizations. Earlier in his career, Dr. Pescatore served as the Associate Medical Director of The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, working as the right-hand-man to the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins. Today he sees patients at his own practice in Manhattan and writes a monthly newsletter called Logical Health Alternatives, as well as a free e-letter called The Reality Health Check.

SOURCE:

“Self-reported sleep disturbance is associated with Alzheimer’s disease risk in men,” Alzheimer’s & Dementia, epub ahead of print 10/27/14.