Sleep disorders and dementias:Terrifying link revealed by scientists

A disrupted sleep pattern directly impacts your health. According to an American study published in the journal Neurology, the brain is particularly affected.

For years, a research team from the University of San Francisco followed 600 adults with an average age of around forty years old. The monitoring led them to a troubling conclusion: there's a link between sleep quality and brain atrophy, a phenomenon often associated with dementia, reports the Belgian media RTBF.

For the study, scientists questioned participants on various aspects related to their sleep. By analysing the brain scans of each individual surveyed, they were also able to determine their brain age. Even after accounting for factors such as lifestyle, age, and general health, the results clearly showed that adults affected by sleep disorders exhibited accelerated brain ageing. Specifically: "individuals with moderate sleep disorders were 1.6 years older in terms of brain age". This phenomenon was amplified for participants suffering from multiple sleep disorders, where the gap then increased to 2.6 years.

Shortened Sleep = Dementia?

Experiencing difficulties falling asleep and waking up early: researchers found that these two factors contribute to accelerated brain ageing. The study also shows that the duration of sleep doesn't significantly influence the ageing phenomenon, although previous research proves otherwise, associating the risk of cognitive decline and dementia with shortened sleep. As stated by the study’s co-author, Clémence Cavaillès, "[But] we cannot say with certainty that there's no association between the two."

Meanwhile, the study’s lead author, Kristine Yaffe, asserts that research indicates “that poor quality sleep could serve as an early intervention lever to prevent potential cognitive decline".

Stress, the omnipresence of screens, sedentary lifestyles: in recent years, our ways of living seem to further intensify sleep disorders. A topic that should certainly not be swept under the pillow.

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: RTBF - Illustration: ©Unsplash)