Posted on 12/07/2021 6:31:30 PM PST by ConservativeMind
In humans, aging is often associated with changes in sleeping patterns, cognitive abilities and functional network connectivity (i.e., the strength with which activity in different brain regions correlates over time). While many neuroscientists investigated these changes over the past decades, the relationship between them is still poorly understood.
Researchers have recently carried out a study exploring the possible effects of sleep on the relationship between functional network connectivity (FNC) and cognitive function in the elderly. Their paper shows that, in older adults, sleep quality could modulate the association between FNC and cognitive function.
"Previous studies have showed that resting-state brain functional connectivity can predict the cognitive function of older adults," Jing Yu, one of the researchers, told Medical Xpress. "We were interested in whether this prediction could be moderated by older adults' sleep―a correlate disrupted with aging, while contributing to the change of cognitive function."
"Older adults completed the PSQI questionnaire that assessed their sleep quality over the past month and their brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was obtained," Yu explained. "The static and dynamic FNC was computed based on the imaging data. Then, the static and dynamic FNC were used to predict older adults' cognitive function to investigate whether sleep quality will modulate the relationship between FNC (i.e., static and dynamic FNC) and cognition function."
Overall, the researchers found that the participants' dynamic FNC (dFNC) could predict their cognitive function, thus the two measurements were related. Moreover, sleep quality appeared to modulate this association.
"Our findings show that sleep quality can modulate the relationship between dynamic FNC and cognitive function at both the micro level by edges (dFNC-var) and macro level by states (dFNC-state)," Yu said. "This suggests that sleep not only impacts older adults' cognitive function and FNC but also the association between the two correlates."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Drugs?
For the past 10 days I have been dealing with is termed sleep maintenance insomnia . I soon fall asleep , but wane up 2/3 hours later and can’t get back to sleep . Going to consult a sleep therapist as soon as possible .
Pardon typos .
I have been dealing with what is termed sleep maintenance insomnia .
I soon fall asleep , but wake up 2/3 hours later and can’t get back to sleep .
Honestly, you don’t necessarily need drugs to get good sleep.
I use ear plugs, an eye mask, cool the room, have reduced the lights and reduce the brightness of screens you view, prior to sleep. These all help.
Sometimes.
My husband suffers from back pain and it causes him not to sleep properly. I get him to take a couple of Tylenol and he sleeps like a baby.
Pain is a major reason why the elderly do not sleep properly.
Minor pain relievers an hour before bedtime can change that.
Once they have had several nights of solid sleep the pain also seems to recede.
Tinnitus doubled since covid infection in early September. Lucky to get two hours sleep at a time. Difficulty going to sleep, falling back asleep. Insomnia is contagious; fatigue is both a result and cause.
I haven’t had Covid and haven’t been vaccinated . Just suddenly developed this form of insomnia .
Correct. I’m a disabled veteran that has minor pain all the time, major occasionally. It is self-feeding. Bad sleep equals more pain. If you can manage the pain well enough, it can help a ton of quality of life issues.
I do the same but I don’t think it is a problem. I am often up working on something. It’s the nature of the creative.
For me (70 years old):
1. Fair amount of exercise - stretching, cardio, weights and some sports
2. No alcohol. None. Even one drink messes up my sleep.
3. Decaf-coffee only. Max two cups before 11 am.
4. No heavy meals before bed. Limit carbs. I try to have my last food around 5 or 6 pm if possible.
5. Melatonin. 5 mg.
6. CPAP machine.
7. Reduce mental stress. Retirement with a sound financial plan did wonders for me. I don’t miss all the really horrendous stress of work at all, busting our butts to hit sales numbers every quarter. If you can’t retire (or don’t like being retired), maybe yoga or meditation.
8. Avoid electronic screens the two hours before bedtime. Reading before bed is best.
9. Cool room. It’s about 25 degrees at night now, but we still have our window open in the bedroom.
10. A BIG bed with a high quality mattress. We finally got a King size bed and love it.
11. Avoid naps if you can.
12. Maintain good blood pressure. Control with medication controlled if required.
13. Maintain appropriate weight.
I probably missed a few tips, but, by following those guidelines, I can get to bed 10:30 to 11:00 and sleep through the night most nights hitting 6.5 to 8.0 hours. I’m very fortunate I don’t have to get up during the night to urinate.
CPAP is a big one. My husband and I both got one 3 years ago and it makes a huge difference. Average at least 6-7 hours or more a night.
bkmk
When you’re older, everything hurts sometimes; something hurts all the time.
I can’t use it, the masks burn the hair in my nostrils, and chafe the crap out of my nose.
25 and window open. So you don’t have your heat on yet?
Absolutely agree. I use an “O2 Ring” to record my SpO2 levels while sleeping. I used the OSCAR software to load the CPAP data, then load the SpO2 data. Both the CPAP and O2 data show on the same graphs. I see a marked drop in average oxygen the rare nights I don’t use the CPAP machine - a 2 to 3 point drop. The O2 ring also shows you the “desaturation drops” you get during sleep and there are FAR fewer when I’m using the CPAP.
It was really good to get that O2 Ring and show me how much the CPAP improves sleep.
Yeah, the heater is on during the day, but I set it at 60 at 10 pm. Our house is so well sealed and insulated that the bedroom really doesn’t get that cold (even with the window open!) and we have a big comforter on the bed. I have an electric blanket on the bed, but never turn it on.
It’s really surprising having the window open at 25F outside.
“I use ear plugs, an eye mask”
I could no more sleep with ear plugs and an eye mask than I could without a weapon within reach.
Sometimes I can sleep; sometimes I can’t. Life’s a bitch. Nothing to do but man up.
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