The Bidirectional Relationship Between Sleep and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Sleep is essential for brain health, and it does this through glymphatic clearance, neuroimmune regulation, oxidative balance, synaptic homeostasis, and energy metabolism. Impaired sleep derails these processes, leading to accumulation of neurotoxic proteins, heightened inflammation, oxidative damage, and synaptic dysfunction, all of which promote neurodegenerative disease. Conversely, neurodegenerative diseases directly affect sleep by degrading brain structures that regulate sleep and circadian rhythms, making sleep disturbances an early and important feature of these diseases. Therefore, the link between sleep and neurodegeneration is bidirectional, and targeting sleep is a promising approach for early intervention, disease modification, and better quality of life in neurodegenerative patients.