ROCHESTER, NEW YORK — The depth of one's sleep can affect the brain's ability to adequately remove waste and toxic proteins, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances.<br /><br />An increase of toxic proteins such as beta amyloid and tau in the brain are often linked with Alzheimer's disease, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center news release.<br /><br />The researchers injected six mice with six different anesthetic regimens to replicate different stages of sleep.<br /><br />This was to identify if a certain phase of sleep could be associated with the glymphatic system, which the brain uses to clear waste.<br /><br />The scientists determined the best glymphatic system activity takes place in the stage that was most similar to a human's deep, non REM, short-wave sleep, efficiently stimulating the cleaning process of the brain.<br /><br />Mice that were given anesthetics which did not lead to slower brain activity had a decline in glymphatic activity, according to the study.<br /><br />The study reinforces the link between poor sleep and Alzheimer's disease, and the importance of deep sleep for the brain's cleaning system to work effectively.
