Sleep Quality in Your 30s and 40s Shapes Your Cognitive Health a Decade Later


Highlights:

  • Disrupted sleep in your 30s and 40s may increase the likelihood of memory and thinking problems a decade later

  • It is important to understand early-life sleep patterns and their impact on cognitive functions

  • Individuals with the most disrupted sleep were over twice as likely to experience poor cognitive performance

A well-established fact is the pivotal role a healthy sleep cycle plays in both physical and mental well-being. However, the intrusion of stress, overthinking, and anxious thoughts often disrupts sleep, influencing overall health negatively. Building upon this notion, a recent study sheds light on a significant revelation: individuals experiencing sleep disturbances in their 30s and 40s may face an increased likelihood of encountering memory and cognitive issues a decade later.

Sleep Duration and Sleep Quality of Affect Cognition

Published in the journal Neurology, the study delves into the duration and quality of sleep to unravel its impact on cognitive functions (1). The research involved 526 participants who, over two occasions about a year apart, wore wrist activity monitors for three consecutive days. Despite averaging six hours of sleep, participants reported bedtime and wake time in sleep diaries and provided data for a sleep quality survey. The survey, scoring sleep quality from zero to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality, revealed that 46% (239 individuals) reported poor sleep with scores greater than five.

Of the 175 participants experiencing the most disrupted sleep, 44 exhibited poor cognitive performance a decade later. Even after adjusting for factors like age, gender, race, and education, those with the most disrupted sleep were over twice as likely to exhibit poor cognitive performance compared to those with the least disrupted sleep.

Sleep Linked with Alzheimer’s Disease

Considering that signs of Alzheimer’s disease manifest in the brain decades before symptoms emerge, understanding the link between sleep and cognition in earlier life stages becomes paramount. Recognizing sleep problems as a potential risk factor for the disease gains significance. The study emphasizes, “Our findings indicate that the quality rather than the quantity of sleep matters most for cognitive health in middle age,” as highlighted by study author Yue Leng. This revelation underscores the importance of addressing sleep quality in the middle-aged demographic to potentially mitigate cognitive decline and enhance overall brain health.

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References:

  1. The consequences of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance

    Khan MA, Al-Jahdali H. The consequences of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2023 Apr;28(2):91-99. doi: 10.17712/nsj.2023.2.20220108. PMID: 37045455; PMCID: PMC10155483.

Source-Medindia





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