Sleep can have a major impact on your overall health and wellbeing, as it is, during this time that your brain removes waste products, repairs damage, and produces new brain cells. Obviously, when your sleep is interrupted, not only are you deprived of quality sleep, but these restorative processes are also interrupted.

 

Given that I have sleep apnoea, and sleep disturbances are common in people who have Alzheimer’s Disease, I am obviously concerned about how much quality sleep I receive each night. It is for this reason that I follow a very structured routine which involves getting at least 7 – 8 hours of quality sleep each night, going to bed and waking up in the morning at approximately the same time each day. Besides, maintaining a comfortable setting in the bedroom, I also follow a nightly ritual so that I send signals to my brain when it is time to go to sleep. This includes, avoiding foods after 7.30 pm and not using my computer after 9.30 pm, due to the effects of blue light.