A new study shows that people who don’t regularly get a good night’s sleep may be more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease.

Participants who experienced less deep restorative sleep and less non-rapid eye movement were more likely to show an increase in beta-amyloid plaques, a main component in the development of Alzheimer’s, according to the study. The beta-amyloid destroys memory pathways and other cognitive functions, which affects more than 40 million people worldwide, according to a Berkeley news article.

At this point the study seems to indicate that the lack of sleep is an indicator of future Alzheimer’s symptoms rather than being a cause of them. But further work is needed on this to determine just what direction doctors will go on this matter.

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