A new study shows that people with chronic insomnia may face faster memory loss and thinking problems as they age. Chronic insomnia means having trouble sleeping at least three nights a week for three months or more.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, found that these sleep issues were linked to a 40% higher risk of developing mild cognitive problems or dementia. That is about the same as aging an extra 3.5 years.
The research was led by Dr. Diego Carvalho from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He explained that insomnia doesn’t just make people tired during the day—it may also harm the brain over time. The study tracked 2,750 older adults, with an average age of 70, who were mentally healthy at the start.
About 16% of them had chronic insomnia. The participants were followed for around 5.6 years. During that time, they took yearly tests to measure their memory and thinking skills. Some also had brain scans.
By the end of the study, 14% of people with chronic insomnia had developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia, compared to only 10% of those without insomnia. Even after adjusting for age, high blood pressure, sleep medications, and sleep apnea, the link between insomnia and brain decline stayed strong.
The researchers also looked at how recent changes in sleep patterns affected brain health. Some people said they had been sleeping less than usual over the past two weeks, while others said they had been sleeping more.
Those who slept less had lower scores on memory and thinking tests. Their brains also showed more signs of small vessel disease and more amyloid plaques. Amyloid is a protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In fact, the brain changes in people with poor sleep were similar to those seen in people with the APOE ε4 gene, which is known to raise the risk of Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, people who said they had been sleeping more than usual had fewer signs of small vessel damage in the brain.
The study also found that people who carry the APOE ε4 gene were especially affected by insomnia. These people had faster memory decline and greater thinking problems over time. This shows that insomnia and genetic risk factors can work together to affect brain health.
The findings suggest that chronic insomnia may affect the brain in more than one way. It could involve the buildup of amyloid plaques, damage to small blood vessels, or both. Treating insomnia might not only help people sleep better—it might also help protect their brain as they age.
The researchers noted that their study had some limits. For example, insomnia diagnoses were based on medical records, which might miss some cases or not reflect how severe the sleep problems were. Still, the study was supported by several respected institutions, including the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic.
In conclusion, this research adds to growing evidence that sleep is vital for brain health. Chronic insomnia could be an early warning sign of future memory and thinking problems. That’s why it’s important to take sleep troubles seriously, especially as we get older.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
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