Repost: Sleep, Insomnia, Aging and Fatigue—My Experience with My Father.
As I age, my sleep has increasingly become a problem. My sleeping time has decreased, and I'm sensitive to noise and light. The comfort of lying in bed has also worsened, and I often toss and turn. I used to think this was a normal aspect of aging that couldn't be changed.
One day in 2020, my father suddenly told me that he felt he was nearing the end and wanted to write a will. He said he felt weak when walking, as if he were walking on cotton, unsteady, and had a feeling of about to fall. His sleep was poor; he suffered from insomnia and could only sleep for 2-3 hours at night. His blood pressure had risen, and the antihypertensive medication he took daily was no longer effective. That year, my father was 87 years old. Previously, his health had always been good, and he walked ten thousand steps every day.
My father was a doctor, highly regarded in his hometown for treating patients. He had always had his own exercise and wellness routine and didn’t take health supplements.
Personally, due to years of exposure to his views, I also reject health supplements.
My father mentioned that my grandparents began to experience weakness in walking, feeling as if they were walking on cotton, and had a sensation of about to fall after the age of 70, which was attributed to brain atrophy; there was not much effective method for prevention and treatment.
I specifically searched for information related to brain atrophy online.
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Does brain atrophy occur with aging?
Yes, brain atrophy is a normal physiological phenomenon that occurs with age. Throughout the natural aging process, various tissues and organs in the body undergo changes, including the brain. The brain gradually decreases in volume and mass, leading to brain atrophy.
While mild brain atrophy is normal for many people, severe brain atrophy can lead to issues such as decreased cognitive abilities and memory loss. This is one reason why the risk of neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease) is higher among the elderly.
Symptoms of brain atrophy
- General symptoms:
In the early stages of the condition, patients often experience dizziness, headaches, insomnia with vivid dreams, weakness in the lower back and knees, numbness in hands and feet, tinnitus, and progressive slowness in reactions, movement, and incoherent speech or responses.
Physically, symptoms may include frailty, graying hair, tooth loss, dry skin, pigmentation changes, or symptoms like paralysis, epilepsy, ataxia, and tremors. Neurological symptoms may or may not be present.
- Memory impairment:
Deficits in recent memory occur early on, such as frequently losing items or forgetting commitments. As the condition progresses, memory loss can become complete.
- Changes in personality and behavior:
Personality changes are often an early symptom of this condition, with patients becoming depressed and reclusive, displaying a lack of ambition, desires, or affection towards family members; or exhibiting rigid and peculiar habits, irritability, excessive talking, or paranoia and selfishness. They may also show undue concern for their health and safety, becoming fixated on minor discomforts; or exhibit symptoms like confusion, mania, with hallucinations, aphasia, and agnosia. All higher emotional activities—such as feelings of shame, responsibility, pride, and morality—may decline to varying degrees, and sleep rhythms may also change.
- Cognitive decline and dementia:
This manifests as a comprehensive decline in intellectual activities, such as understanding, judgment, and calculation abilities, making it difficult to adapt to social life and manage work or household tasks; eventually leading to an inability to correctly state one’s name or age, not knowing hunger or satiety, getting lost when leaving home, and collecting discarded paper or objects as treasures. In the late stages of the disease, patients may be bedridden, unable to care for themselves, unable to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people, suffering from incontinence, mumbling their words, and eventually reaching complete dementia.
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Regarding my father's symptoms, I feel that this is part of human aging, and I can only leave it to fate.
One day, I happened to come across an article.
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Could This Radical New Approach to Alzheimer’s Lead to a Breakthrough?
Rick Tetzeli
Large pharmaceutical companies have spent billions of dollars seeking treatments for brain diseases but have made no progress. However, we might consider the novel theories mentioned in the following text.
https://hapasleep.com/blogs/news/alzheimers-disease-cure-breakthrough
Molecular biologist Rick Dunlop (right) and his colleague Sandra Bannek discussed issues in the brain chemistry lab in Jackson Hole. Photo by Theo Stroomer for Fortune Magazine
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This article is relatively long, but its core is about a group of unconventional scientists who are determined to use serine to treat Alzheimer’s disease (commonly known as senile dementia).
I was deeply moved by the actions of these scientists and suddenly had the idea to buy some serine supplements for my father, hoping it might alleviate his suffering. I searched online, learned about various serine-related information, and ultimately decided to buy phosphatidylserine supplements to give it a try.
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Phosphatidylserine, also known as complex neuroacid, and abbreviated as PS, is extracted from the residue of natural soybean oil. It is an active substance in cell membranes, especially found in brain cells. Its main function is to improve the function of nerve cells, regulate the conduction of nerve impulses, and enhance memory function. Due to its strong lipophilicity, after being absorbed, it can quickly pass through the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain, helping to relax vascular smooth muscle cells and increase blood supply to the brain.
In a randomized controlled trial, 157 participants with subjective memory impairment compared the effects of daily intake of 300 milligrams of phosphatidylserine with an ineffective placebo. At the end of 15 weeks, participants receiving phosphatidylserine performed better on short-term memory tests, with the most significant effects observed in those with the best baseline cognitive function. The trial continued for another 15 weeks, with all participants taking 100 milligrams of phosphatidylserine supplements daily; those who had previously taken the supplements maintained their cognitive abilities, while those who had taken the ineffective placebo showed improvements in cognitive function.
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Research on phosphatidylserine:
- **Can improve athletic performance:**
Phosphatidylserine supplements may help increase athletic ability and improve performance. Researchers have also found that phosphatidylserine may help reduce muscle soreness and prevent elevated cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone that often occurs due to overtraining.
- **Can improve memory decline:**
Phosphatidylserine is commonly used to slow age-related memory loss. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, 78 elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment were assigned to receive either phosphatidylserine supplements or a placebo for six months. Tests conducted at the end of the six months found significant improvements in memory for participants taking phosphatidylserine.
- **Can alleviate depression:**
Phosphatidylserine is believed to play a role in regulating mood. For example, in a study published in 2015 in the journal Mental Disorders, elderly individuals over 65 with severe depression took a supplement containing phosphatidylserine, omega-3 fatty acids DHA, and EPA three times a day for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, the scores on depression scales showed improvement. However, more large-scale, well-designed clinical studies are needed before recommending phosphatidylserine (or DHA) for treating depression, as the study could not conclude whether phosphatidylserine, DHA, EPA, or the combination of supplements was beneficial.
- **Can improve ADHD symptoms:**
A study published in 2012 in European Psychiatry suggested that combining phosphatidylserine with omega-3 fatty acids may help treat symptoms of ADHD in children. In this study, 200 children diagnosed with ADHD were assigned to 15 weeks of treatment with either a placebo or a supplement containing phosphatidylserine and omega-3 fatty acids. Results showed that participants receiving the combination treatment exhibited significantly reduced hyperactive/impulsive behaviors and greater emotional improvement compared to the placebo group.
Another study published in 2014 compared phosphatidylserine to a placebo in children diagnosed with ADHD. After two months, the treatment group showed significant improvements in auditory memory, attention, and impulsivity. This was a small study involving only 36 children. More extensive research is needed to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of phosphatidylserine.
- **Can lower cortisol levels and help with sleep:**
Some studies suggest that supplementing with phosphatidylserine can lower cortisol levels in the body, a steroid hormone produced under stress. Cortisol plays a significant role in regulating many functions in the body. High levels of cortisol are associated with adverse health effects such as increased blood sugar and blood pressure, making it beneficial to manage cortisol levels.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) can act as a sleep aid. It helps regulate cortisol and metabolism, contributing to maintaining a balanced sleep cycle. Research on Parkinson's disease has found that phosphatidylserine levels in the brain cells of patients are depleted, leading to sleep disturbances. In animal models of Parkinson's disease, normal sleep patterns could be restored through the supplementation of phosphatidylserine (PS).
Clinical studies indicate that phosphatidylserine (PS) has benefits including improving sleep, relieving stress, regulating mood, combating fatigue, and activating brain vitality (such as memory, learning ability, and attention).
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Given my father's advanced age, I needed to be cautious. Therefore, I decided to try it myself for a while first to see how I reacted.
After a few days of trying it, I found that it significantly helped my sleep. I have always slept on my stomach since I was a child, and sleeping in any other position was uncomfortable for me. After turning 40, as I aged and my belly grew, I could no longer sleep on my stomach, which affected my sleep quality. However, after taking phosphatidylserine, I suddenly found that I could sleep on my stomach again, regaining the feeling I had in my childhood.
I gave it to my father. On his first night, he slept an additional 3 hours, which made him very happy.
The ability of phosphatidylserine to help with sleep greatly encouraged me. I continued searching online for various materials and products that could aid with sleep.
At that point, I discovered that there are actually many sleep supplements made with phosphatidylserine and other ingredients available on Walmart and Amazon. So, I bought various formula products and tried them one by one to see which one helped with sleep the most.
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- **Pure phosphatidylserine:** The effect on sleep is weaker than that of certain compound products. Discontinued.
- **Phosphatidylserine + DHA:** There are many products with this formula, but the effect on sleep is poor. Discontinued.
- **Phosphatidylserine + Melatonin:** Did not feel good. Melatonin is a hormone, and there are more issues associated with it. Discontinued.
- **Phosphatidylserine + Magnesium Glycinate:** It felt decent for my sleep. However, after a few days, my father experienced heart palpitations. Discontinued.
- **Phosphatidylserine + South African Devil's Claw:** This is a popular online ingredient that is highly regarded. I tried it, but I experienced severe pain near the lower ribs close to my left armpit around 2 or 3 AM, enough to wake me up, and the pain lasted for about two hours. I tested it several times a few days apart, and I experienced this every time. Quite strange. Discontinued.
- **Phosphatidylserine + Tart Cherry + Coenzyme Q10:** This felt quite good; the sleepiness it produced at night was the strongest among the dozens of sleep supplements I tried.
I woke up in the morning without brain fog and had clear thoughts; in addition, it contained coenzyme Q10, which I really liked.
Another reason is that tart cherry can lower uric acid levels. There are many comments on Amazon stating that tart cherry can relieve muscle fatigue, shoulder and back pain, and lower uric acid.
I previously had high uric acid and needed to take allopurinol to control it, but later, drinking cherry juice also helped manage it, so I no longer needed to take other uric acid-lowering medications.
I used to experience back pain from sitting and looking at the computer for long periods, needing to do pull-ups to relieve it. Since taking this supplement, I hardly feel any back pain anymore and often forget to do pull-ups.
Additionally, I noticed that my nighttime urination frequency decreased. I used to drink four large cups of water, about 1600 milliliters, after dinner every day. Now, I only urinate once at night, and it’s easy to fall back asleep afterward, significantly improving my sleep quality.
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Since my father started taking the phosphatidylserine + tart cherry + coenzyme Q10 sleep supplement (HAPA SLEEP Sleep Capsules), not only has his sleep improved, but his nighttime urination frequency has decreased. His antihypertensive medication has also helped control his blood pressure, and he now has enough energy to walk during the day, averaging over 7,000 steps daily. My father is 91 years old this year, and I pray that he will live to be over 100.
I have difficulty falling asleep. I take one capsule three hours before bed and two more capsules ten minutes before going to sleep, which helps me sleep very well. I can fall asleep quickly and sleep on my stomach every night without being sensitive to noise or light.
Previously, I often had racing thoughts at night and would wake up with headaches in the morning. Since taking this, I wake up feeling refreshed and alert without any headaches. My father does not have difficulty falling asleep and takes two capsules ten minutes before bed.
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I have recommended this product (HAPA SLEEP Sleep Capsules) to my friends and family, and most of them have seen positive results.
My sister has decent sleep, but she tends to wake up early. She can't fall back asleep after 4:00 AM. After taking this supplement, she can sleep an extra two hours.
Another woman friend, who is going through menopause, has had poor sleep. After contracting COVID-19, she experienced severe night sweats and would soak all her clothes. After taking it for a week, her night sweats reduced, and her sleep quality significantly improved; it seems quite miraculous. For reference only.
A relative’s child attends a well-regarded high school with a heavy academic workload and fierce competition. However, he has mild ADHD and usually doesn’t work hard, preferring to cram before exams. Just a few days before his exams, he has taken one HAPA SLEEP Sleep Capsule before bedtime. Each time, he has managed to rank among the top in his grade on the exams.
I asked him how it felt to take the supplement, and he said that his sleep was deeper, he felt less anxious, and he woke up feeling good and clear-headed, quickly recalling what he had studied. For reference only.
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Research papers on supplementing with phosphatidylserine to enhance memory in the elderly, alleviate cognitive impairment, and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (commonly known as senile dementia) are plentiful, but there has been no conclusive judgment from the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to date.
However, I am willing to try it because I have nothing to lose. If my father lives an additional month, his pension can cover two years' worth of HAPA SLEEP Sleep Capsules (many of his colleagues, knowing that this product is good, still hesitate to purchase it). This reflects the sentiment that health and longevity are more important than anything else.
My father has been taking it for over three years and feels good. In between, he had previously rejected health supplements, and after his sleep and physical stamina improved, he stopped taking them for two months, leading to a return of the weakness in his walking. Now, he is afraid to stop taking it.
Additionally, I want to remind everyone that, based on my statistical analysis, elderly people experience a sharp decline in sleep quality during the summer, resulting in a general decline in overall health. However, due to the higher temperatures, people move more slowly and do not show immediate effects. When winter arrives and the cold temperatures set in, they might find it hard to cope. Please take note.
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**Phosphatidylserine - Regulations in Different Countries**
**Korea:** In May 2006, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) allowed products containing phosphatidylserine (PS) to prominently state and advertise their function in "preventing cognitive decline in the elderly."
**United States:** In May 2003, claims about the brain health benefits of PS were approved. In June 2006, the FDA recognized PS as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), meaning it can be added as a nutritional supplement ingredient to foods such as yogurt, milk powder, and bread. Furthermore, PS is the only functional ingredient certified by the FDA that includes a health claim for cognitive function.
**European Union:** In October 2009, a request was made to classify soy-derived PS as a new source food (Novel Food).
**Japan:** On February 5, 2010, PS was included in the list of food (non-drug) items by Japan's HBM (Health and Food Safety Bureau) after passing individual reviews for food additives.
**China:** In 2010, phosphatidylserine was approved as a new resource food, with limitations on its use: not applicable to infant foods and a consumption level of less than 600 mg/day.
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I am very satisfied that HAPA SLEEP Sleep Capsules can resolve sleep issues for both my father and me, as well as his walking and stamina problems. If it can also "prevent" or "delay" Alzheimer's disease, then I see it as a tremendous bonus.
Currently, my father is 91 years old, mentally sharp, articulate, and walks 7,000 steps every day. He can cook for himself and doesn’t need a caregiver.
Unfortunately, my mother passed away the year before I read the above article. Before her passing, she did not suffer from any serious illnesses aside from high blood pressure; she had weakness and unsteadiness while walking, had fallen a few times (without fractures), had itchy skin, and poor sleep, often waking up with headaches.
I often wonder if my mother had taken HAPA SLEEP Sleep Capsules and used "CeraVe Itch Relief Moisturizing Body Lotion" for her itching, perhaps she would still be alive and healthy today.
My mother loved me the most, yet I did not use my intelligence to help her.
Life, thus, is imperfect.
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Sleep is a complex issue, and no single product can solve everyone’s sleep struggles. Regarding sleep supplements, my viewpoint is to choose a variety of products with different ingredients, boldly try them out, and find what suits you best.
Dietary supplements that help improve sleep are different from other supplements that may take a long time to show effectiveness. Consumers can feel the difference in their sleep quality the very next night after taking them. If something does not feel right, it can be switched out immediately.
Having deeply experienced the special effects of phosphatidylserine, I have become an advocate for it.
After the age of 50, regardless of how much power or wealth you possess, everyone will face the issue of brain atrophy; no one is exempt.
My belief is that if you have sleep or age-related weakness issues, seeing a doctor is another matter. Regarding dietary supplements, the first choice should be products that contain phosphatidylserine. If it does not feel suitable, then consider switching to products with other ingredients. This approach could be the most beneficial for your body and brain.
Most ingredients that help with sleep, such as jujube seed, GABA, melatonin, magnesium, South African Devil's Claw, chamomile, tryptophan, and valerian root, do not improve the function of nerve cells or enhance memory, with very little research supporting those claims.
Phosphatidylserine may have multiple benefits.
This is the result of my years of continuous experimenting. This is just one perspective and is for reference only!
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Below is a link to the sleep supplement containing phosphatidylserine + tart cherry + coenzyme Q10 (HAPA SLEEP Sleep Capsules) sold in the United States, for reference only.
**HAPA-Japan Melatonin Free Sleep Aid Supplement, Phosphatidylserine, Coenzyme Q10, 60 Capsules**