According to a study published recently in JAMA Neurology, those who have trouble sleeping may have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Seventy participants between the ages of 53 and 91 were studied  as part of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The  participants that slept the fewest hours and who had difficulty falling asleep showed an increase in the plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Promoting better sleep in those patients, researchers believe, may help prevent or slow the onset of the disease.  

Read the article, "Lack of Sleep May Increase Risk of Alzheimer's Disease" by PCRM here.

For more information on Alzheimer's Disease, see:

(1)  "Toxins are Removed From our Brains During Sleep"

(2)  "Animal Fat Increases Risk of Alzheimer's Disease"

(3)  "Power Foods for the Brain" by Neal Barnard, MD