Getting Enough Sleep May Protect Us from Dementia

Researchers report sleeping less than five hours a night can increase our risk for dementia. The journal Aging published a study done over a period of five years that supported earlier research by finding people who slept less than five hours a day were at greater risk for dementia. The study looked at the sleep patterns of 2,600 people over the age of 65. 

Participants who slept less than five hours a night had almost double the risk of being diagnosed with dementia over the course of the study from those who slept seven to nine hours a day. Another risk factor was poor quality of sleep or taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep. There was also a greater risk of dying for the poor sleepers. 

While this study involved people over 65 years of age and took place over a handful of years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently published a study involving people in their 50s and 60s. It found those who slept six hours or less per night were more likely to develop dementia later in life. Participants were interviewed on six occasions between 1985 and 2016 about how many hours they slept each night. For accuracy, some participants “wore accelerometers to objectively measure sleep time. Over the course of the study, 521 participants were diagnosed with dementia, at an average age of 77.” Other studies report the risk for dementia is increased in people who sleep more than nine hours a night. 

At MorningStar of North Ridge, we specialize in providing individualized care for seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases. Our home has 38 suites including studio and one-bedroom floor plans; and we are equipped to care for residents from the onset of the disease to the most advanced stages. We know having a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia is difficult and want you to know we are here to help. Visit our website to learn more our beautiful community, our team and our company’s philosophy regarding the finest Alzheimer’s care in Albuquerque, NM. 

Source: 

nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lack-sleep-middle-age-may-increase-dementia-risk