Healthy people will occasionally experience sleep disturbances. However, disrupted sleep patterns can also serve as an early indicator of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent form of the condition. In fact, symptoms related to sleep irregularities can manifest years before an official diagnosis is made.
Neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s involve diminished responsiveness of brain cells to signaling chemicals, as well as the accumulation of excess waste material that hampers their normal functioning. As the disease progresses and brain cells deteriorate, specific regions of the brain may be lost.
