Part Two: Start With One Thing
In Part One, we looked at an encouraging idea: Caring for our brains doesn’t have to begin when we’re older.
Some of the daily choices we make at 40 and 50 may influence our brain health decades later. And some of those choices are surprisingly simple.
Sleep isn’t wasted time
There was a time when surviving on four or five hours of sleep was almost a badge of honor.
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” people joked. Maybe that wasn’t our best health strategy.
Persistent sleep problems are among the factors receiving increased attention in discussions about dementia risk.
That doesn’t mean sleeping a certain number of hours will prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Brain health is far too complicated for promises like that. However, healthy sleep is part of taking care of a healthy brain.
If you’re constantly exhausted, can’t sleep, or may have a condition such as sleep apnea, don’t simply accept it as part of getting older. Talk with your healthcare provider.
Your brain needs rest, too.
What’s good for your heart may be good for your brain
One of the important messages from dementia research is the connection between vascular health and brain health.
· High blood pressure isn’t just a heart issue
· Diabetes isn’t only about blood sugar
· High cholesterol isn’t simply about avoiding a heart attack
· These conditions all matter to the brain, too
That makes those routine doctor visits we sometimes postpone a little more important. A lot more important.
Knowing your numbers—and working with your healthcare provider to manage them—is one more way to take care of the brain you’ll depend on decades from now.
Forget the miracle brain hack
We all love shortcuts, but all of those stories that the anonymous “they” share on the internet prove to be nothing more than words to generate clicks. They’re called “clickbait.”
If someone promised that eating blueberries every morning, doing one crossword puzzle a day or taking a particular supplement would guarantee we’d never develop dementia, we’d probably have trouble keeping it on the shelves.
Unfortunately, there is no magic food, puzzle or “brain hack.” Brain health is more about the patterns we build over a lifetime.
Here are the proven actions to take:
· Move your body
· Don’t smoke
· Limit harmful alcohol use
· Eat well
· Manage blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and weight
· Stay connected to people
· Keep learning
· Take sleep seriously
In addition to these, pay attention to depression and mental health, and address hearing and vision changes. You don’t have to do everything perfectly. In fact, none of us will.
Start with one thing
Maybe that’s the most important message of all. You don’t have to wake up tomorrow morning and completely reinvent your life. Start with one thing, whether it’s scheduling the hearing test you’ve been putting off, checking your blood pressure, or taking a walk after dinner. Call the friend you haven’t talked to in six months. Make the eye appointment. Do something about the sleep problem you’ve complained about for years. Then, when you’re ready, choose another thing. And then another.
At James L. West Center for Dementia Care, much of our work centers on caring for and supporting people living with dementia and the families who love them. Education is an important part of that work.
But dementia education shouldn’t begin only after a diagnosis, because the contributing factors can begin years—even decades—earlier.
None of us can control everything that will affect our cognitive health. There are no guarantees, but we can take better care of the brain we have today.
And perhaps that’s one of the most encouraging messages emerging from the science of dementia: What we do at 40 and 50 really can matter to the person we hope to be at 70 and beyond.
About the James L. West Center for Dementia Care For 33 years, the James L. West Center for Dementia Care, a not-for-profit organization, has served those impacted by dementia. Established by Eunice West in honor of her late husband, James L. West, who passed away due to dementia, the Center continues to build upon its excellence in compassionate care and caregiver and dementia education by expanding its service lines to meet the community’s needs. The Center offers residential care, a Senior Day Program, Short-Term Respite Care, and Rehabilitation, In-Home Services, and professional and family caregiver education, which was recently rebranded as Dementia-IQ Powered by James L. West. Jaime Cobb-Tinsley is the Vice President of Family & Professional Education and has been with The West Center since 2011.