Dancing Through the Night: “Sleep Melodies” in Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease

Each night, our brain alternates between NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, as if playing two different “sleep melodies,” or cycles, and contribute to memory consolidation. In the elderly, frequent awakenings interrupt these cycles, making it harder to retain information and increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. By diving into the “waltzes” of NREM and REM sleep, this research seeks to unravel the structure of NREM and REM sleep in older adults and Alzheimer’s patients and may lead to interventions to improve sleep and memory in these populations.