Early signs of Alzheimer’s disease can sometimes show up in changes to sleep patterns, even before memory problems become obvious. One key thing to watch for is **difficulty reaching or spending enough time in REM sleep**, the stage where dreaming occurs and important memory processing happens. If it takes longer than usual to enter REM sleep, this delay might be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s risk.
People with early Alzheimer’s often experience **fragmented or poor-quality sleep**—waking up frequently during the night or having restless nights. This kind of disrupted sleep can affect brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer’s, potentially accelerating brain changes linked to the disease. Interestingly, some studies suggest women may be more sensitive to these effects.
Another sign is a disturbance in the **sleep-wake cycle**, also called circadian rhythm. This internal clock controls when we feel awake and sleepy. In early Alzheimer’s, people may start sleeping poorly at night but then nap excessively during the day due to this disruption.
Additionally, insomnia-like symptoms such as trouble falling asleep, waking too early, or not feeling rested after sleeping are common and should raise attention if they appear alongside other subtle cognitive changes.
These sleep issues are not just symptoms; they might also contribute directly to Alzheimer’s progression by affecting how harmful proteins build up in the brain. Therefore, noticing persistent changes like delayed REM onset, fragmented nighttime rest, altered daily rhythms of wakefulness and sleepiness could be important clues that warrant further medical evaluation for cognitive health.
In short: pay attention if someone starts taking longer to reach deep dream-filled stages of sleep or shows unusual daytime drowsiness combined with restless nights—these could be quiet signals from the brain hinting at early Alzheimer’s-related changes long before more obvious memory loss appears.
