People regularly sleeping less than 6 hours a night have an increased risk of developing dementia later in life compared with those who usually sleep more than 7 hours.
According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, getting six hours or less of sleep a night during middle age significantly increases the risk of dementia. The 25-year study of just under 8,000 participants found that those who averaged less than six hours of sleep at age 50, 60 and 70 were associated with a 30% higher dementia risk that was independent of demographic, behavioral and mental health factors.
“Even though we can’t say sleep duration has a causal impact on dementia, it would be good to encourage good sleep hygiene,” said the study’s lead author and French Institute of Health and Medical Research epidemiologist Séverine Sabia.
According to experts not associated with the study, the results are particularly noteworthy for the long period over which participants were observed and because authors took other factors into consideration. “That gives us greater confidence that this study was looking purely at the relationship between dementia and sleep,” said Brigham and Women’s Hospital sleep scientist Rebecca Robbins, who was unaffiliated with the study.
To attempt to get more and better sleep, Robbins recommends daily natural light exposure, eating dinner a minimum of one hour ahead of retiring and creating a bedtime ritual of turning off all screens (cell phones, computers, TVs, video games) to prepare your mind for slumber.
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