Does talking in your sleep say anything about dementia?
This type of sleep talking is a serious early warning sign for Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease. Does your partner regularly notice this in you? Then discuss it with your GP.
Ordinary sleep talking is not in itself a sign of dementia. But one specific form is: when you actively act out your dreams, kicking, hitting or talking loudly in your sleep.
Of the people who have this condition without a diagnosis, more than 80% eventually develop a brain disease such as Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease. That happens at an average rate of just over 6% per year. After twelve years, more than 73% of the 1,200-plus participants had received such a diagnosis.
Loud sleep talking also helps to distinguish between types of dementia. It occurs in nearly 62% of people with Lewy body dementia, but in only 19% of those with Alzheimer's disease and 6% of healthy older adults.
Do you have this condition and also experience movement problems, a reduced sense of smell, mild memory problems or erectile problems? If so, the risk of rapid decline is considerably higher.
Clonazepam or melatonin can reduce the night-time behaviour. A treatment that slows or prevents the underlying brain disease itself does not yet exist.
The evidence linking this sleep behaviour disorder to brain disease as an early warning sign rests on a large multi-centre study of more than 1,200 patients and several combined reviews; that part of the evidence is solid. The link between loud sleep talking and Lewy body dementia comes from a single study that was not further classified, which makes it somewhat weaker. The treatment data are based on reviews without precise effect sizes. Throughout, the findings reflect associations, not proven cause-and-effect relationships.
Is there a link between depression and a higher risk of dementia?
Depression is strongly associated with a higher risk of dementia, though it remains uncertain whether depression causes dementia or is sometimes an early sign of it. Treating depression appears to lower the risk, so if you or someone close to you is experiencing depressive symptoms, it is worth taking them seriously and discussing them with a doctor.
Does poor hearing increase my risk of developing dementia?
Poor hearing is clearly linked to a higher risk of dementia, and the association is probably not coincidental. Getting your hearing tested and considering a hearing aid if loss is found is therefore a practical and worthwhile step.
Does drinking coffee really help against dementia, or is that a myth?
Drinking 2 to 3 cups of caffeinated coffee daily is associated with a lower dementia risk in several large studies, but this is not a proven causal relationship. Adding tea appears to strengthen the association, and decaffeinated coffee adds nothing.
Does staying socially active and physically active protect against dementia?
Staying socially and physically active is probably your best lifestyle investment against dementia. The strongest results come from programmes that combine exercise, diet, cognitive stimulation, and social contact, not from any single factor alone.
Does poor sleep cause dementia sooner?
Poor sleep probably increases your risk of dementia, but ordinary insomnia does not make dementia inevitable. One exception: if you physically act out your dreams while sleeping, discuss that with a doctor.
Does hearing loss increase your risk of dementia, and does a hearing aid help?
Hearing loss demonstrably increases the risk of dementia, and a hearing aid appears to help, but proven protection for everyone has not yet been established. Have your hearing assessed regardless, if only because of the other health risks associated with hearing loss.