Alzheimer s is a deadly disease that begins with neural damage in the hippocampus the part of the brain associated with forming memories. If your sleep is continually disrupted by a condition called sleep apnea you might face a higher chance of developing alzheimer s down the road. 8 Sleep Habits That Raise Your Risk Of Alzheimer S Disease A team of scientists studied 208 men and women aged 55 to 90 most of whom had sleep apnea but did not have any type of diagnosed dementia. Alzheimer s and sleep apnea . Sleep apnea an abnormal breathing pattern in which people briefly stop breathing many times a night resulting in poor sleep quality. It isn t clear if sleep apnea causes the buildup of protein tangles in the brain that are a sign of alzheimer s or if the increased protein helps cause the apnea the researchers said. Alzheimer s disease ad is a brain disorder that affects a person s thoughts memory speech and ability to carry out daily activities. As people age they often f...