Have you ever been so tired that the moment you hit the bed, you feel like you are sinking in your mattress? Or did you ever feel your leg twitch in middle of your sleep? Did you feel like you moved your leg to prevent yourself from falling down? If yes, then you are in for a great read!

Why does this happen?

You are not alone, this happens to around 70% of the total population in some way or another. Although these are signs of sleep disorders, it can also happen to people who are otherwise healthy. Sleep disorder specialists believe that there are certain common triggers that leads to such a sensation.

Our brain is exceptional and sometimes when we dream, it makes us believe that we our part of the dream. And if you are falling from somewhere in your dream, chances are, you would feel like you are falling in real life. This experience is known as hypnic jerk, the movement of your muscle that helps you be safe from that fall, or the imaginary one.

What causes it? When we sleep, our bodies become paralyzed, but that does not mean that our muscle control is not totally off. Rather, a slow, dimmer switch. When the dim switch randomly is turned on, we get jerky movements in our sleep.

This involuntary muscle movement is also called myoclonus or hypnic myoclonus, that transitions as you shift from one sleep phase into another.

ALSO SEE: What is sleep paralysis?

What Could Cause It?

There are many theories on what might be causing it. One of them is that when you are at this stage of sleep, you are still not in deep sleep and your brain misinterprets it as wakefulness, however, at the same time your brain does not recognize your muscles to be moving. This is what leads your brain to send a message to your muscles to check-in. It is a way your brain tries to protect you.

Another theory is of course that of stress. When you are stressed, your mind might be racing, while your body is in stationary. This can also affect your sleep cycle and your sleep can be disrupted.

If you are on stimulant drugs or alcohol, it too can prevent you from achieving a good night sleep. If you have consumed too much caffeine then too your muscles can twitch to make you stay awake.

Furthermore, lack of sleep could also be the reason why your mind is used to staying awake even if your body really needs the rest.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

While the falling sensation in sleep is quite common, and happens to healthy people, a severe form is the Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). PLMD is a repetitive cramping or jerking of legs during sleep. It is a movement disorder that happens only during sleep. It is called "periodic" because the movements are repetitive and rhythmic, which means it occurs in every 20 to 40 seconds. It is also often linked with restless legs syndrome, however, the two are not the same thing.

Restless leg syndrome on the other hand is a condition that involves strange sensations in the legs and arms while awake and an irresistible urge to move the limbs to relive the sensations.

What causes PLMD may be more severe things, including diabetes, iron deficiency, spinal cord tumor, spinal cord injury, sleep apnea, uremia, anemia, narcolepsy, or certain medications.

Aging is a significant factor in memory loss and cognitive decline. Now, a team of US researchers has pinpointed a single protein that drives these changes in the brains of the elderly.

In aging mice, higher levels of protein FTL1 weakened connections between brain cells, leading to memory decline.

But when FTL1 was reduced, the brain began to recover. It also rebuilt lost connections and restored memory performance, according to the study, published in Nature Aging.

"It is truly a reversal of impairments," said Saul Villeda, Associate Director at the University of California - San Francisco's Bakar Aging Research Institute and senior author of the paper. "It's much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms."

While the research was carried out in aging mice, it holds immense potential for human brain function.

FTL1: A Key Driver Of Brain Aging

In the study, the researchers tracked shifts in genes and proteins in the hippocampus of mice. The FTL1 protein appeared consistently different between young and old animals.

Compared to young mice, the older mice showed higher levels of FTL1. They also had fewer connections between neurons in the hippocampus and performed worse on cognitive tests.

Increasing FTL1 levels in young mice produced brain changes similar to those seen in older mice. The researchers found that this change occurs because of alterations in the way nerve cells produce FTL1 protein.

In older mice, the nerve cells that produced high amounts of FTL1 developed simplified structures, forming short, single extensions instead of the complex, branching networks seen in healthy cells.

Further experiments showed that in older mice, higher levels of the protein slowed cellular metabolism in the hippocampus -- the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

However, when researchers treated these cells with a compound that boosts metabolism, the negative effects were prevented.

Also read: This Unique Diet Slows Brain Aging By Over 2 Years, Study Says

A Promise For Future Brain Aging Therapies

Villeda believes these findings could pave the way for treatments that target FTL1 and counter its effects in the brain.

"We're seeing more opportunities to alleviate the worst consequences of old age," he said. "It's a hopeful time to be working on the biology of aging."

Also read: Exercising Could Make Your Brain Younger, Says Doctor

Here's How To Boost Your Brain

• Simple movements like squats, push-ups or resistance band exercises
• Indulging in mentally challenging activities such as puzzles, reading, strategy games
• Learn new skills like any language, or musical instruments
• Better sleep — about 7-9 hours
• Healthy diet — rich in leafy greens, vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, fish, beans, poultry
• meditation, deep breathing, or yoga
• Avoid smoking, and drinking alcohol.

Cancer treatment has long been thought to be unsuccessful among people of advanced age, and older adults are often left out of clinical decisions.

While they may face more surgical complications, a new study proved that even people aged over 80 can still safely have surgery and be cured. It showed that the overall health of a patient matters more and that age must not be the only criterion to rule out surgery.

The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, showed that surgery for lung cancer is safe in elderly patients aged 80 and above, especially when the cancer is in an early stage.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center in the US found that they can recover like young cancer patients as well as live longer like them.

“As our population ages, more patients over 80 are being diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, yet they are often not considered for surgery,” said Raja M. Flores, Chair of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System.

“Our findings show that when patients are carefully selected based on their overall health, not just their age, they can tolerate surgery well and experience excellent long-term outcomes,” he added.

What Did The Study Find?

The study findings are based on a study of 884 patients with early-stage lung cancer, including 114 people who were age 80 or older.

The researchers examined surgical outcomes and quality of life in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, comparing those aged 80 and older with younger patients.

The results showed that older patients lived just as long as younger patients after surgery. While some older patients had more complications right after surgery, most patients in both groups felt better over time, and their quality of life improved within a year.

The study noted that early detection in older patients may be key. The researchers called for screening guidelines to include patients who are over 80 years old based on these findings.

Also read: Scientists Link Vaping to 2 Types of Cancer; DNA-Damaging Chemicals to Blame

What Is Lung Cancer?

Lung Cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. It is also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with approximately 2.5 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths reported in 2022.

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer mainly occurs in older people. Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older; a very small number of people diagnosed are younger than 45.

The average age of people when diagnosed is about 70.

It is also the leading cause of cancer death in the US, accounting for about 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths.

In many cases, there are no symptoms; however, one must look out for these:

• a persistent cough
• coughing up blood
• persistent breathlessness
• unexplained tiredness and weight loss
• an ache or pain when breathing or coughing.

Also read: New AIIMS Study To Probe How PM2.5 Is Surging Lung Cancer Risk In India

The two main types of lung cancers are:

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC): This is the most common form, making up about 80–85% of all cases. NSCLC includes three subtypes:

• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Adenocarcinoma
• Large-cell carcinoma

Cancer is not just a problem of elderly people anymore. In India, there has been an increased number of cases where individuals under the age of 40 are diagnosed with various forms of cancer. Even if there are fewer cases of this medical condition among younger people, this fact does not change the fact that one-fifth of all cancer patients in India are younger than 40 years.

Breast cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, as well as blood cancer, are some types of cancer that become more common at a younger age. Among the most alarming statistics, the incidence of colorectal cancer in people aged 30-40 should be mentioned. Moreover, the fact that breast cancer becomes evident nine years earlier in Indian women in comparison with Western women must also be noted.

What Makes This Problem Increase?

There is a wide variety of factors that contribute to this problem. These are the following:

• Lifestyle changes, such as lack of exercise, unhealthy eating habits, being overweight, and stressful situations
• Alcohol and tobacco consumption
• Pollution in the urban environment
• Problems with early diagnosis due to the negligence of patients
• Low screening rates among the young population

Early detection saves lives. Some warning signs to look out for are:

• Sudden and unexplained weight loss
• Endless fatigue
• Digestion issues
• Breast lumps or any swellings anywhere in the body
• Coughing or trouble swallowing persistently

Why Late-stage Diagnosis Is Even More Serious

Not only does it take time to diagnose cancer cases in young patients due to low suspicions, but these cancers also create an additional burden on people during their prime earning period.

How To Combat This Trend

There needs to be a paradigm shift in our understanding of this problem. First of all, we have to understand that cancer affects patients irrespective of their age, and therefore, when you experience some symptoms of cancer, do visit a doctor to get your condition checked out.

The key is maintaining healthy practices like balanced nutrition, exercising, not smoking, and limiting consumption of alcohol.