Representational purpose
Washington: Researchers from Stanford University in the United States discovered the cause behind sleeping problems experienced by the elderly after they reach the age of 65.
The scientific journal /Science/ indicated that researchers were aware that sleep becomes disturbed and worsen with age. However, the mechanism causing this problem has not been studied, so the researchers chose two groups of mice. The age of the first group ranged between 3 and 5 months. The second was between 18 and 22 months. Afterward, they studied orexin (neuropeptides in the brain responsible for alertness). It became clear to them that the mice of the second group lost about 38 percent of these (peptides) compared to the first group.
The researchers concluded that sleep problems in old age are caused by a disturbance in the functioning of potassium channels, which are biological switches between wakefulness and sleep. The researchers also confirmed that poor sleep could increase the risk of developing various health problems, starting with high blood pressure and ending with heart attacks, diabetes, depression and Alzheimers disease.
The researchers hope that these results will help to devise more effective methods and drugs to treat insomnia in the future.
