This week’s blog is about the connection between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease. There are around five hundred and twenty thousand cases of Alzheimer’s disease in the UK and it’s fast becoming a real epidemic. It’s something that many of us are more conscious of, and links are being made between Alzheimer’s and various lifestyle factors, one of which is sleep.
Sleep issues are really common for people with Alzheimer’s disease. And, in fact, sleep or difficulty sleeping, can be one of the early signs. Now, of course, there are many different reasons why you might struggle to sleep, so don’t jump to the conclusion that you’re going to get Alzheimer’s later in life or even early onset, as that’s not the case. However, sleep issues have been linked with Alzheimer’s disease, so it’s really important to get a good night’s sleep and to have really good sleep hygiene. I’ve written a number of blog posts all about sleep and how to improve the quality of it here.
So why is this an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease? It’s been discovered that sleep, or a lack thereof, can increase the amount of plaque on the brain, which can impair sleep. That’s essentially what Alzheimer’s is; plaque on the brain. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting a good night’s sleep to prevent the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and any of the other sleep related conditions. Not only that but sleep is a great “nourisher” of our nature, to paraphrase Shakespeare. We need good quality sleep; seven to eight hours of sleep is about right for most people.
There is a very small percentage of the population that have a genetic variation that means they don’t need to get seven or eight hours sleep, but they can thrive on perhaps three or four. Some famous politicians made that claim. But, according to Matthew Walker in his brilliant book, Why We Sleep, which I highly recommend, if you were to round up to the nearest percent the amount of people that have that genetic variation, it would be zero; it’s extremely rare. Most people do need seven to eight hours of sleep.
I would really prioritise sleep in your life if you want to reduce your risk of serious illness, and get more out of your everyday life. If you’ve got questions, you can contact me at leanne@bodyshotperformance.com.
Bodyshot Sleep Package
We have brought together everything you need to optimise your sleep, in one package. The Sleep Package includes the DNA test for diet and fitness, a non-invasive blood test panel for thyroid and red cell magnesium and the Oura ring for sleep tracking and recovery.
Once we’ve received the results of your DNA and blood test, we arrange a suitable time for the consultation which takes place online and lasts approximately 60 minutes. In the consultation, we analyse your results, explain what everything means and draw up a personalised action plan so that you know exactly what to do.
The Sleep Package also includes an eBook that talks you through the Sleep Signal and gives you loads of tips, information and a resource you can keep coming back to. The eBook is a concise summary of everything we’ve learned from the hundreds of clients we’ve helped to optimise their sleep.
What you get:
- DNA test for diet and fitness
- Oura ring
- Custom Blood Panel
- eBook
- Consultation with a Health Expert
If you would like to find out more about this package, please click here.
What’s your Health IQ?
If you’re reading this, you’re are probably in a reasonably senior position, running your own business or have a busy life running the home and juggling other responsibilities. Either way, you’re busy. The convergent pressures of work and family life have probably meant that the time you did have to spend on health and fitness has disappeared. Why not talk to us and see how we can help.
Leanne Spencer is an entrepreneur, coach, TEDx Speaker, author of Remove the Guesswork, and founder of Bodyshot Performance Limited. Bodyshot is a health and fitness consultancy that helps busy professionals get more energy by removing the guesswork around their health, fitness and nutrition. Visit www.bodyshotperformance.com or email info@bodyshotperformance.com to register your interest in our services and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
