In a new study from Flinders University, researchers suggest that men aged 65 and over should monitor their sleep patterns and seek medical advice.
They found that disrupted slumber can be linked to cognitive dysfunction.
In the study, the team examined a group of 477 middle-aged and older men’s attention and processing speed in relation to their sleep.
The participants undertook cognitive testing and a successful sleep study.
They found less deep sleep and more light sleep are related to slower responses on cognitive function tests.
While obstructive sleep apnea itself is not directly related to cognitive function in all men studied, the team did found that in men aged 65 and older, more light sleep was related to worse attention and processing speed.
The team says the results suggest that day-to-day activities that rely on optimal attention and cognitive speed such as driving, physical activities and walking might be affected by the encroachment of poor sleep.
Previous research found that decreasing deep sleep as people age is associated with cognition.
This emphasizes the importance of ongoing research looking at ways to stimulate deep sleep as a means of slowing cognitive decline with age.
The team says a further longitudinal investigation is needed to connect poor sleep and sleep apnea with future changes in sleep patterns and cognitive decline in older people’s sleep patterns.
If you care about sleep and your health, please read studies about short sleep at night may signal heart disease and findings of these pain relievers may harm your body weight and sleep and results showing that how to sleep well when you are getting old.
The study is published in the Journal of Sleep Research. One author of the study is Jesse Parker.
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