People who have trouble sleeping for months may experience faster memory loss and thinking problems as they age.
A new study published in the journal Neurology found that chronic insomnia could speed up brain aging.
The study followed 2,750 older adults, with an average age of 70, for more than five years. About 16% of them had chronic insomnia, which means they had trouble sleeping at least three nights a week for three months or more.
These people were 40% more likely to develop memory or thinking issues like mild cognitive impairment or dementia, compared to those without insomnia. That’s like aging your brain by an extra 3.5 years.
Dr. Diego Carvalho from the Mayo Clinic, who led the study, said, “Insomnia doesn’t just make you tired. It may also affect your brain over time.”
Participants took yearly memory and thinking tests, and some had brain scans. People with insomnia showed more changes in the brain. They had more amyloid plaques (a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease) and more white matter hyperintensities (damaged brain tissue from small blood vessels). These changes may be signs of early brain aging.
Interestingly, people who reported sleeping less than usual in the last two weeks had lower memory scores and more brain changes. On the other hand, those who slept more than usual had fewer signs of brain damage on scans.
The study also found that people with a gene called APOE ε4, which increases Alzheimer’s risk, were more affected if they also had insomnia. These individuals had a faster decline in memory and thinking skills.
Dr. Carvalho explained that insomnia might affect the brain through both protein buildup and poor blood flow. “This shows that treating insomnia might help protect brain health,” he said. “Sleep is not just rest—it helps build brain strength.”
The study does not prove that insomnia causes brain aging, but it suggests a strong link. One limitation is that researchers used medical records to find insomnia cases, so some cases might have been missed.
Still, the findings highlight the importance of taking sleep problems seriously—especially in older adults. Treating insomnia early might help prevent memory and thinking issues in the future.
The study is published in Neurology.
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