Here's an interesting article about sleep and Alzheimers

deesierra

deesierra

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There's growing evidence that a lack of sleep can leave the brain vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease.

"Changes in sleep habits may actually be setting the stage" for dementia, says Jeffrey Iliff, a brain scientist at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

The brain appears to clear out toxins linked to Alzheimer's during sleep, Iliff explains. And, at least among research animals that don't get enough solid shut-eye, those toxins can build up and damage the brain.

Iliff and other scientists at OHSU are about to launch a study of people that should clarify the link between sleep problems and Alzheimer's disease in humans.

It has been clear for decades that there is some sort of link. Sleep disorders are very common among people with Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...f-deep-sleep-may-set-the-stage-for-alzheimers
 

You can have shorter sleep patterns and still be okay - I believe they're talking about deep (REM) sleep, which you can achieve with remarkably short periods of sleep.

So it isn't necessarily quantity so much as quality of sleep.
 
Good to know you can get deep sleep even with short hours or I would be doomed. Between humans, TV, and critters something is always waking me up in the night.
 
Actually, I'm wrong - was half asleep when I wrote that.

REM sleep is more of a stage between light and deep sleep, and I was thinking in terms of dreams. Not sure if that would apply to deep sleep except of course as a step toward it.

Some people are able to achieve deep sleep within a 15-minute nap - I'm sure it can be learned.
 
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