Dementia: Mayo Clinic names symptom linked to how you wake up in the morning

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Dementia—a general term for decreased brain activity—causes a number of symptoms that significantly impair quality of life. The nature of the symptoms depends on the type of dementia. Memory loss is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, a common cause of dementia, but it’s not the only warning sign.

In fact, “sleep disturbances may affect 25 percent of people with mild to moderate dementia and 50 percent of people with severe dementia,” warns the Mayo Clinic. According to doctors, sleep disturbances tend to worsen as dementia progresses.

What to look for?

The Mayo Clinic explains:

“Possible sleep problems include excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia, with difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Frequent awakenings at night and early morning awakenings are also common.”

Researchers are not yet sure which way the interaction goes—whether poor sleep causes or worsens dementia, or whether dementia leads to poor sleep.

Some researchers believe that both theories may be true, and the connection may be circular. The buildup of amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, may be responsible for the link between Alzheimer’s and sleep-wake cycles.

Elevated levels of amyloid in the brain are commonly seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and studies have shown that elevated levels of amyloid may be associated with poor sleep quality.