2024-01-06 22:14:00
Study Finds Quality of Sleep is Crucial for Cognitive Health in Middle Age
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has found that the quality of sleep, rather than the quantity, is most important for cognitive health in middle age. The study, led by Dr. Yue Leng, aimed to understand the connection between sleep and cognition and its potential impact on certain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Over a period of 11 years, 526 participants with an average age of 40 took part in the experiment. The researchers used activity monitors, sleep diaries, and questionnaires on sleep quality to assess the participants’ sleep duration and quality. They also completed a series of memory and thinking tests.
The study examined the concept of sleep fragmentation, which measures repeated short interruptions in sleep. The results showed that after 10 years, 44 of the 175 people with the most disturbed sleep had poor cognitive performance, while only 10 of the 176 people with the least disturbed sleep had poor test results.
Dr. Leng emphasized the need for further research to assess the connection between sleep disorders and cognition at different stages of life. She also highlighted the importance of determining whether there are critical periods of life in which sleep is more closely linked to cognition. The findings suggest that addressing sleep quality could be a potential avenue for preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
The study’s results shed light on the importance of recognizing sleep problems as a risk factor for cognitive health and provide valuable insights into potential strategies for maintaining cognitive health in middle age and beyond.]
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