You know the horrors a sleepless night can bring. Haunting you the next day: fatigue, headache, irritability, and inability to concentrate, to name a few. Although sleep deprivation affects us all at times, a new study suggests that substandard eye sleep is linked to accelerated brain aging.
While poor sleep quality is not necessarily a reason Brain aging faster Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and other US institutions have found that poor sleep quality in early midlife is associated with more signs of poor brain health in late middle age. Their findings were published on October 23 neurology,Medical Journal of American Academy of Neurology.
“Sleep problems have been linked in previous research to poorer thinking and memory skills later in life, putting people at greater risk of developing dementia,” said one of the study authors. Clemence Cavellis, Ph.Depidemiologist in UCSF Center for Population Brain HealthHe said in a press release about the research. “Our study, which used brain scans to determine participants’ brain age, suggests that poor sleep is associated with approximately three years of additional brain aging in early middle age.”
The study evaluated nearly 600 people over 15 years. Initially, the average age of participants was 40 years. They completed a basic survey about their sleep habits and were asked questions such as:
- “Do you usually have trouble sleeping?”
- “Do you usually wake up several times at night?”
- “Do you usually wake up very early?”
Five years later, they filled out the same questionnaire, which was designed to highlight these six characteristics of unhealthy sleep:
Ten years after the follow-up survey, the researchers used MRI and machine learning to determine the ages of participants’ brains.
More sleep problems, faster brain aging
Each participant was divided into one of three groups based on the number of poor sleep habits they had: low (one or fewer), medium (two to three), and high (four or more). The average brain age of people in the high group was 2.6 years older than that in the low group. The average brain age of the middle group was 1.6 years older.
The researchers noted that poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and waking up early in the morning were associated with aging of the brain, especially when those four characteristics were constant over half a decade. However, the study authors also point out that self-reporting of sleep hygiene leaves room for error.
“Our findings highlight the importance of addressing sleep problems early in life to maintain brain health, including maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, exercising, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before going to bed, and using relaxation techniques,” co-author of the study. the study. Dr. Christine YaffeDirector of the Center for Population Brain Health at the University of California, San Francisco, said in the news release. “Future research should focus on finding new ways to improve sleep quality and investigating the long-term impact of sleep on brain health in young people.”
Tips for better sleep
Building and maintaining good sleep hygiene takes time, so be patient with yourself if your bedtime routine is out of control. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention She recommends focusing on these habits to get better sleep:
If you think you may have a sleep disorder, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, your primary care doctor can refer you to a sleep medicine specialist.
To learn more about building healthy sleep habits:
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