How having a nightcap can turn into a nightmare

Are you drinking your way to dementia?

A new study has come to some startling conclusions where dementia and Alzheimer’s are concerned. It all has to do with sleep — something that can be thrown off kilter when you drink alcoholic beverages.

But even if you’re a teetotaler, you’re not in the clear, because the evidence is piling up: Lose sleep, and you may lose out on a whole lot more than you ever expected.

That’s why if you’ve been falling short on shut-eye, you should take three easy steps to get your sleep back on track so that you can save your precious memories.

Setting the stage for Alzheimer’s

It turns out that booze — even when used occasionally — affects how well and long we sleep. So, researchers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) set out to investigate how lack of sleep might affect the brain.

Not getting enough sleep has already been associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and even diabetes.

As one doctor put it, lack of sleep can affect “every possible nook and cranny” in your body.

So, a connection between losing out on Zzzz’s and upping your risk of Alzheimer’s probably shouldn’t come as a big surprise. But the real shock here is exactly how those dementia dominos can fall in line to make that happen.

All it takes is simply losing one night of sleep to set into motion the “immediate increase” in a brain protein known as beta-amyloid. That was discovered in people – not lab rats – through the use of PET scans done on healthy volunteers who had been awake for at least 31 hours.

If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because “amyloid plaques” are often referred to as the hallmark finding in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

As the researchers explained it, the amyloid brain protein that’s released when we don’t get enough shut-eye is a “metabolic waste product” that can “clump together” to form those memory-stealing brain plaques.

The increase of that protein in those who didn’t sleep for 30-plus hours was said to be around 5 percent. To put that into perspective, it’s been found to be 40 percent in those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

But here’s the scary part: The NIAAA scientists don’t know if that amyloid protein level would drop again after a good night’s sleep.

So, is it possible that all it might take to set Alzheimer’s in motion is the occasional bout of insomnia?

But how about shortchanging your night’s slumber by just a few hours — you know, going to bed a little too late and “cutting corners” on your sleep routine?

We all do it every now and then, right? But could that cause this amyloid protein level to rise, setting the stage for dementia?

None of the research out there right now says that it won’t.

That’s why you’ve got to make every effort you can to get your eight hours’ worth every night. And you can start with these three steps:

#1 Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages after around 3 p.m. — and that includes decaf, which can actually be loaded with caffeine. (A Dunkin’ Donuts decaf, for example, was found to have a little under half what a regular cup of java would contain!)

#2 If you have a problem with falling asleep or staying asleep, consider supplementing with the “sleep hormone” melatonin. For many, taking melatonin has been able to bring them back to the days when sleeping through the night wasn’t a struggle.

#3 Make “lights out” a bedtime rule. That means keeping your bedroom as dark as possible and not checking your email or watching movies on your phone or tablet after going to bed. Any amount of light that hits your eyes (especially the kind that comes from electronic devices) will bring your melatonin production to a screeching halt!

And when you consume any wine, beer, or other spirits, make sure that you accompany them with food. How long that alcohol remains in your blood will depend on your gender, weight, how much you’ve eaten, and even if you’re taking certain medications, but as a rule of thumb, it takes three or more hours for your body to break down that glass of wine or beer.

But whatever you do to get a good night’s rest, never, ever resort to one of those risky Rx sleeping drugs!

“Lack of sleep may be linked to risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease” NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, April 13, 2018, ScienceDaily, sciencedaily.com