A new study conducted at the University of Rochester Medical Center has found that brain activity during deep, non-REM sleep is ideal for the brain’s glymphatic system to “clean” itself of toxins. Some of these include the toxic proteins beta amyloid and tau, the buildup of which has been linked to Alzheimer’s and dementia. Beta amyloid and tau are thought to harm and inhibit communication between neurons.

“Sleep is critical to the function of the brain’s waste removal system and this study shows that the deeper the sleep the better,” said Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the] Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and lead author of the study. “These findings also add to the increasingly clear evidence that quality of sleep or sleep deprivation can predict the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.”

This study emphasizes the link between poor sleep and Alzheimer’s and underscores the importance of maintaining brain health as a part of a complete approach to fighting Alzheimer’s.

You can read more about the study here.