Autophagy & The Brain
Why sleep matters for Alzheimer’s prevention.
When we think of protecting our brain from Alzheimer’s disease, we often focus on diet and exercise, but there’s a powerful process that occurs while we sleep that’s essential for brain health: autophagy.
Autophagy is like the brain’s overnight cleaning crew, working to clear away waste, repair cells, and prevent the buildup of harmful toxins that can lead to memory loss. Yet many of us unknowingly sabotage this vital process by not giving our brain the rest it needs, and by engaging in certain factors that disrupt autophagy.
According to research, disruption of autophagy can cause neurodegeneration.
In our final email of the Alzheimer’s Awareness Month series, we’re going to look at what autophagy is, the important functions that occur in the brain while we’re asleep, factors that disrupt this process, and how to optimize sleep and the autophagy process to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.