Will i get Dementia??

I have had severe sleeping issues for the last 1,5 years and while i got 4,5 hours in the beginning i now get absolutely zero deep sleep. I have no trouble falling asleep but i wake up at 4am feeling unrefreshed and this occurs every night and has so for the last 1,5 years. I've recently read some articles about dementia that said people between 50-65 with long term insomnia had a 4-fold increase in dementia/Alzheimers risk.


Now im only 24.. and i have a hope that my brain might be able to recover so i wont get dementia. My theory is that when your somewhat young, your brain still has the ability to grow, so while bad sleep does kill brain cells, it still has the potential to get back to nromal with years of good sleep. Do you think this is realistic? And it hits the age group 50-65 harder because the brain cells they lost due to sleeping cant be regrown, sleep for this age group just maintains status quo and a big kill of brain cells cant be recovered with good sleep and will eventually lead to dementia.


On the other hand i've read that alzheimers can be started 20-30 years before its full manifistation is seen. This worries me and i cant seem to think why it wont have started in me, when i have had no deep sleep for 1 year. DO you think im destined to get alzheimers at age 44-54???

Hello,

first of all, don't panic.

Second -- Alzheimer's is partly hereditary (here's an article). If your family does not have Alzheimer's history, I would say you're pretty safe. Same with dementia. In addition, dementia and Alzheimer, percentage-wise, is decreasing.

I have a few questions:
1. Are you receiving any medical help about your sleep? Because of my bipolar disorder I have problems sleeping, and I am using sleeping aids daily. It's not a great solution but it works.
2. Are you using any recreational drugs, in particular uppers? If yes, I greatly recommend you stop.
3. How much caffeine do you use? I discovered that if I drink two cups of coffee, even early in the day (noon), it's much harder for me to fall asleep. So I have only one with breakfast now. Also apparently tobacco use can worsen your sleep quality.

I took a "sleep course" from a sleep psychologist at my hospital. It was very helpful. Then I went manic (bipolar) and it stopped working so I went back on meds. But I recommend a course like this, it really works.

Big hugs if wanted. Don't worry about those illnesses at the age of 24. We're all going to die at some point from something. It's a long time between today and the day you turn 65 -- and scientists are working on cure for both those illnesses. If you find it hard to stop worrying about it, it also might be something to discuss with your doctor.

i did try zopiclone, but i only took two pills as they did not help achieve deep sleep -they merely helped falling asleep and im pretty good at that part already:) Therefore i switched to melatonin, which helps a bit, but i still feel unrefreshed and i cant memorize anything anymore.

I have tried a lot of things for this condition, i have excercised heavily, eliminated caffeine, heck i even bought a tent and slept in the forest etc. :O

I'd like those hugs -it might help me sleep ;

I am however really worried about my future, i study medicine atm, but on a leave due to my Chronic insomnia (its impossible to memorize all the latin structures in the body without sleep) and i consider quitting and switching to pharmaci, since doctors notoriously dont sleep much during residency and the first couple of years before they choose a specialty. I like to study medicine and i think i would like the work more than as a pharmacist, but im afraid i inevitably will get alzheimers if i go in that direction...

I guess im a bit of a worrier... anyway its nice to vent my desperation here