If You Keep on Waking Up in the Middle of the Night, Your Brain Is in Trouble
In America, not getting enough sleep isn’t just an issue plaguing a select segment of the population. As of 2013, 40 percent of Americans get less than the recommended amount of sleep each night, as opposed to 11 percent of the population in 1942 . The negative side effects of not getting enough sleep are well documented , but as it turns out, it isn’t just the duration of your snooze affecting your health. A recent study has shown a link between waking up during the middle of the night and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The University of Illinois conducted a sleep study of 516 adults aged 71-78. The study found that the proteins associated with Alzheimer’s, known as biomarkers, were highest in the participants who suffered from respiratory sleep disorders which led to frequent sleep interruptions. (Here’s how to fall back asleep if you wake up in the middle of the night .) According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 20 percent of women and 30 per...