Hidden danger of sleeping pills revealed in new study

We all know that a good night's sleep is good for you. But, for many of us, getting a good night's sleep is a lot easier said than done. While some of us suffer through the tossing and turning all night, others may opt for an alternative – sleeping pills. But new research has revealed these pills stop your brain from doing something vital as you sleep (stock image) (Picture: Getty)

Like cells across the body, cells in the brain also produce a lot of waste that needs to be regularly removed. The removal of this waste stops them from accumulating and causing damage, as these wastes have toxic molecules. In fact, these molecules are associated with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (stock image) (Picture: Getty)

This clean up is normally done by the glymphatic system – a network of tunnels that surround the blood vessels in the brain. Through the tunnels, a colourless liquid known as cerebrospinal fluid collects the trash and flushes it out of the brain. Then, that trash is processed through the lymphatic system. While the glymphatic system works all the time, most of the magic happens when we sleep (stock image) (Picture: Getty)

This clearance is driven by a chemical called norepinephrine, which is also known as noradrenaline – best known as the fight or flight activator. And in this new study, the researchers revealed what norepinephrine’s role is in brain cleaning. The study, which was done on mice, revealed that during a deep sleep, norepinephrine is released in small fluctuations about every 50 seconds. Blood vessels in their brains constricted, which reduced blood flow. This is not a bad thing though, as this creates more space for cerebrospinal fluid to flow through the tunnels to gather up all the waste – and this all happens in cycles (stock image) (Picture: Getty)

But, most of the previous studies looking at norepinephrine has been done on anesthetised mice, so the team allowed the mice to free run and fall asleep naturally. This is how they could get a full picture of what was going on. But now, cue the sleeping pill. When the researchers gave the mice a common sleeping pill called zolpidem – much better known as Ambien - the waves almost stopped. And no waves means no cleaning. The effects of the drug revealed a more than 30% reduction in fluid transport through the glymphatic system to the brain (stock image) (Picture: Getty)

Although in its early days, the findings could reveal that even though sleeping pills help you fall asleep faster, the pills could reduce the quality of sleep you’re getting, and potentially increase the risk of disease. Lead author Dr Natalie Hauglund said: ‘It is extremely interesting, because we can use this knowledge to better understand the effect of sleep and prevent sleep-related diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, where the accumulation of waste products in the brain plays a key role’ (stock image) (Picture: Getty)

She added: ‘It is a widely used prescription drug that helps you fall asleep. We found that the noradrenaline level was significantly reduced, and the slow brain waves disappeared, reducing the effect of the glymphatic system. This suggests that the sleep achieved using the sleep medication is not as beneficial as normal, restorative sleep. It is important to figure out whether this applies to all sleep medication. This could also help doctors prescribe the right medication to different patients’ (stock image) (Picture: Getty)

Dr Hauglund explained that this finding could have massive implications for dementia and Alzheimer’s. She said: ‘If the glymphatic system does not function properly, it won’t be able to remove all waste products from the brain, and previous research has shown that there is a connection between the accumulation of waste products in the brain and disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. If we could tell, at an early stage, that the pumping function is faulty, and that the patient is at risk of developing a disorder, we would be able to treat it before the patient falls ill’. This article is for informational purposes and not meant to offer any medical advice (stock image) (Picture: Getty)