Changes in sleep behavior are common in people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. It is believed that sleep changes are due to a malfunction of the sleep-wake cycle, caused by pathophysiological processes of the disease. In addition to considering sleep disorders in patients, there is also growing interest in the connection between sleep duration and the later onset of dementia.
Observational studies have shown that both short and long sleep durations are associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and the onset of dementia. Some studies also report that changes in sleep duration in older adults are linked to the risk of developing dementia. Much of this knowledge regarding the relationship between sleep duration and dementia comes from studies with a follow-up period of less than 10 years. Given that most dementias are characterized by pathophysiological changes over a period of 20 years or more, studies with long follow-up periods are needed to gain insight into the relationship between sleep duration and the later onset of dementia. Of the existing studies with a follow-up period of 10 years or longer, many are based on participants who were already 65 years old or older at the start of the study, which does not allow for an examination of the importance of sleep characteristics at an earlier point in the life course.
Too little sleep in middle age can increase dementia risk
Therefore, an international research team analyzed data from 7,959 participants in the Whitehall II study to investigate the association between sleep duration and the incidence of dementia.Incidence) over a 25-year follow-up periodFollow-upis examined.
In their study, the researchers concluded that sleeping six hours or less at ages 50 and 60 is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia compared to a normal sleep duration (7 hours). Consistently short sleep duration at ages 50, 60, and 70 was associated with a 30% increased risk of dementia compared to consistently normal sleep duration—regardless of sociodemographic, behavioral, cardiometabolic, and psychological factors. These findings suggest that short sleep duration in middle age is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.
Here you can find the study:
Association of Sleep Duration in Middle and Old Age with Dementia Incidence (2021)
