Sleep and the Dementia Connection

If you are concerned about reducing your risk of getting dementia, one step you may wish to take is to get enough sleep.   According to Dr. Bryce Mander, PhD of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California in Irvine, sleep is essential to the formation (encoding), consolidation and recall of memories.  In fact, more than two-thirds of people with Alzheimer's Disease have a history of at least one type of sleep disorder, usually sleep apnea or insomnia.

Sleep Apnea and Alzheimer's Disease

Lack of adequate sleep is a serious issue in people with the type of of dementia known as Alzheimer's Disease.  Researchers have discovered that having either sleep apnea or insomnia may not only increase your Alzheimer's Disease risk, but it may lower the age of onset of Alzheimer's Disease.  They have also discovered that treating sleep disorders can actually delay the age of onset for Alzheimer's Disease.

In addition, sleep apnea can increase your diabetes risk; insomnia may increase your risk of depression.  Both of these conditions are linked to a higher rate of dementia.

If simply getting more restful sleep at night is able to postpone the development of Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia, it can be life changing to see your doctor if you are having trouble sleeping.

Medical Intervention Can Improve Sleep Quality

What can you do if you do not believe you are getting enough sleep?  Your first step should be to consult your personal physician.  You may even want to have a sleep study done to help determine the specific reason behind your sleep problems.  There are medical interventions, such as a CPAP machine, which could significantly improve your quality of sleep.

You may also wish to talk to your doctor about other health issues which could be interrupting your sleep, such as loud snoring or the need to wake up frequently to go to the bathroom.  Anything we can do to improve our quality and quantity of sleep can help us age better. 

Lifestyle Changes May Improve Sleep Quality

In addition to seeing your doctor, there may be changes you can make in your lifestyle which will improve your sleep quality.  Many people sabotage their sleep without realizing their lack of adequate rest could be causing other health problems, not only dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

Below is a list of activities you can try in order to improve your sleep quality:

*  Maintain a fairly consistent time to go to bed and wake up.
*  Have a goal of sleeping 7 to 9 hours a night; it should take you 20 minutes or less to fall asleep once you are in bed.
*  Set a relaxing routine in the evening, including reading, meditation or taking a warm bath.
*  Avoid using your bedroom as a place to watch television, play on your computer or engage in similar activities.
*  Keep your bedroom cool, but not freezing.  Cool temperatures promote better sleep quality than a warm or hot room.
*  Bright light suppresses your natural melatonin. Have muted lights at night, preferably in red or orange tones.  Avoid the blue and green light which you get from phones and televisions.
*  Turn off electronic devices within 30 minutes of bedtime.
*  Do not eat a large meal too close to bedtime. Eat as early in the evening as you comfortably can.
*  Live a generally good lifestyle, including exercise and a healthy diet.  This will improve your sleep quality.
*  Avoid caffeine after 3:00 p.m.
*  Avoid alcoholic beverages in the evening.  They contribute to poor sleep quality.  You may fall asleep quickly, but will wake up in the middle of the night when the alcohol wears off.

The bottom line is that everyone should make it a priority to get at least seven hours of high quality sleep a night if they wish to lower their risk of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's Disease.

Readers may also want to use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to check out other articles in the Medical Concerns category of this blog to learn more about techniques for reducing your risk of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, including following the MIND diet or the relationship between exercise and dementia.

Want to know more about financial planning, Social Security, Medicare, where to retire and more?  This blog contains hundreds of articles on those topics, as well.

Watch for my book, Retirement Awareness: 10 Steps to a Comfortable Retirement, which is scheduled to be released by Griffin Publishing in 2018.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Healing from Grief

One of the difficult aspects of reaching our 60s, 70s and beyond is the fact that we are likely to lose more friends and family members than we did when we were younger.  Grief is something we are all going to experience.  While we cannot avoid experiencing the loss of someone we love, there are steps we can take to help us heal.

When Sheryl Sandberg, the CEO of Facebook, unexpectedly lost her husband while they were on a family vacation, she was devastated.  The couple had two young children and, difficult as it was, Sheryl knew she had to move on with her life for their sake.  It has not been easy her, and she admits that while "the fog of acute grief has lifted ... the sadness and longing for Dave remain."  While learning to heal, she wrote a book called "Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy." 

AARP Magazine interviewed Sheryl Sandberg about her grief and the book she wrote in their June/July 2017 issue.  Below are a few of the recommendations she has for people who are trying to heal from grief. I highly recommend her book to anyone who is suffering from grief, regardless of their age.


Recognize the Issues Which Hamper Your Recovery

Sheryl Sandberg discusses the three P's in her book.  These are beliefs which make it harder for us to heal.  It is important to acknowledge you are feeling these emotions and recognize these feelings are temporary.

Personalization - Blaming ourselves for someone else's death.  This can cause you to develop deep feelings of guilt for things which are beyond your control.

Pervasiveness - Believing that everything in your life is bleak and refusing to recognize there is anything good or positive going on in your life.  This feeling can cause you to become more fearful and worry more than you did in the past.

Permanence - The belief you will always feel as terrible as you do now.  This can cause you to isolate yourself.

Build Your Resilience

Ms. Sandberg believes that resilience is like a muscle and you can strengthen it.  You need to believe that you will be able to develop deep, close relationships in your life once again.  Your life can have meaning and you can find joy.

While it may seem impossible at first, remind yourself that you will be able to make new friends.  Don't forget to treat yourself with compassion and patience. 

In addition to what Ms. Sandberg has said about resilience, many people have found comfort when they have turned their grief into a cause.  Whether you get involved in raising money to cure the illness which killed your loved one or, like the teenagers who have survived school shootings, turn your tragedy into the energy to fight for political change, these activities can help you recover from your grief and help you become a force for good in the world.

Journaling Can Help

Researchers have discovered that writing about your feelings, both the happy and sad, can make it much easier for you to recover from the trauma of losing someone you love.  Journaling will help you find your own voice.

Give Yourself Permission to Move on With Your Life

You will never forget the people you lost.  Their memories will always be a part of your life.  It is perfectly OK to move on, however, and let yourself experience joy, laughter and have a good time with new friends.  If the person you lost was your spouse, eventually you may want to date again.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Give yourself permission to enjoy another person and remind yourself that if you loved someone deeply before, you will be able to do it again.

At the end of the AARP interview, Sheryl Sandberg said to "acknowledge the capacity of the human spirit to persevere."

If you are experiencing grief in your life, you may also want to join a grief recovery group.  Many churches and other organizations offer them.  They are useful at helping us pull ourselves together and, eventually, move on with our lives.


If you are interested in learning more about common issues as we age, including changing family relationships, common medical issues, where to retire, financial planning, Social Security, Medicare and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional helpful articles.

Watch for my book, Retirement Awareness: 10 Steps to a Comfortable Retirement, which will be published by Griffin Publishing in the fall of 2017.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Lower Dementia Risk with Exercise

While many retired senior citizens slip into a sedentary lifestyle after retirement, they may not realize that spending too much time sitting can increase their dementia risk.  There are two main reasons for this.  First, anything which improves your cardiovascular health is also good for your brain.  Second, when your muscles become weaker, you are at a greater risk for falls, which can lead to broken bones and head injuries.  Exercise, along with other lifestyle changes, is an important part of your plan to reduce your dementia risk.

Aerobic Exercise and Dementia

It has long been known that exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, is good for your heart.  More recently, researchers have discovered that anything which improves your cardiovascular health will also improve your cognitive health.  In addition, anything which improves your cardiovascular health will also reduce your risk of having a stroke, which can cause serious brain damage.

According to a research study reported by the Mayo Clinic, people who had already been diagnosed with mild dementia or cognitive impairment improved their cognitive scores after six to twelve months of regular exercise, when they were compared to a control group of sedentary individuals with similar original scores.  This research shows you can improve your memory and cognitive function, even if you have already been diagnosed with mild memory loss, simply by consistently engaging in aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, running, dancing or swimming.

Exercise and Fall Prevention

Fall prevention is another reason why people should exercise regularly as they age.  According to the Centers for Disease Prevention, falls are the leading cause of injury and death in seniors.  Falls can lead to broken hips and other bones, which may cause you to become bedridden and potentially develop pneumonia.  Falls can also cause head injuries which could damage the brain.  Exercises which help improve your sense of balance and build strength, such as lifting weights or tai chi, will help reduce your risk of falling.

Other Exercises Which are Good for Your Brain

In a brain health class I am taking through a local college, we learned there are other types of physical exercise which can also benefit the brain and improve our balance.  Below are some of the activities which they suggest:

*  Practice different movements when you take a walk such as walking sideways, walking with your feet further apart than normal, trying to place your feet in front of each other in a straight line, walking on your toes or heels, and similar movements.  These movements help strengthen your ankles and legs while teaching your muscles how to respond to unexpected situations when you walk.

*  Practice walking and talking with someone.  Not only does this make your walks more fun, but the ability to walk smoothly while distracted by a conversation is very helpful.

*  Practice bouncing a rubber ball and tossing it to another person.  As we age, we can lose our spatial awareness.  We may find we toss a ball too hard or too softly.  Being able to throw a ball the proper distance to another person, and then being able to catch a ball tossed to us, are both important cognitive skills.  Maintaining this skill will also make us better while engaging in a variety of activities, including driving.

Reduce Stress with Yoga or Breathing Exercises

Another type of exercise which can benefit our brains are stress reducing exercises such as yoga or breathing exercises.  Learning to naturally relax and reduce our stress can make it easier for your brain to store new memories and recall old ones.

In addition to reducing stress, the practice of yoga can also improve your sense of balance, your flexibility and your strength.

As you can see, everyone should incorporate a variety of types of exercises into their weekly schedule, including aerobic exercise, lifting weights, bouncing a ball and yoga. The combination can go a long way towards improving your brain health.

If you are interested in learning more ways to reduce your dementia risk, you should check out the other articles on this blog in the Medical Concerns section and learn more about the MIND diet and other ways to improve your brain health.

If you are interested in learning more about maintaining good health as you age, retirement planning, Social Security, Medicare, where to retire and more, use the tabs or pull-down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional helpful articles.

Watch for my book, Retirement Awareness: 10 Steps to a Comfortable Retirement, which is scheduled to be released by Griffin Publishing in 2018.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit: morguefile.com