Sleeping 5 hours or less may increase the risk of dementia and death in older people



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A new study on the relationship between sleep disturbances and deficiencies in older people and the risk of developing dementia and death has found a strong link between sleep and health.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that the risk of developing dementia doubled among participants who reported sleeping less than five hours compared to those who reported sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night.

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The team also found an association between sleep disturbances and insufficient sleep with an overall risk of death. According to the results, published in the journal Aging.

“Our results clarify the relationship between poor sleep and the risk of developing dementia, and underscore the importance of efforts to help older people get enough sleep every night,” said lead author Dr. Rebecca Robins of the Department of Sleep and Daily Disorders.

To study the relationship between the quality and quantity of sleep and the risk of dementia and death, Rubens and his colleagues used data collected from older participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

NHATS is defined as a longitudinal study of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years of age and older. Survey data from NHATS study participants has been collected annually, since 2011.

A sample of 2,610 participants responded to sleep questionnaires in 2013 and 2014. Researchers looked at participants’ responses on several characteristics of sleep disturbances and sleep deprivation, including alertness, frequency of naps, time needed. participants to fall asleep, the quality of sleep (good / very good, moderate, poor / very bad), duration of sleep and snoring.

They also collected information (from health workers, as needed) on patient outcomes such as dementia and death from whatever cause up to five years after the investigation.

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In general, they found a strong correlation between several sleep disorders and variants of vascular deficiency and dementia (resulting from multiple strokes), over time. Routine sleep for 30 minutes or more was associated with a 45% increased risk of accidental dementia. Routine struggling to maintain alertness, regular napping, reporting poor sleep quality, and getting five hours or less of sleep every night were also associated with an increased risk of death.

Lead author of the study, Charles Chisler, responsible for sleep disorders and circadian rhythms, said: “This prospective study reveals that lack of sleep, when the average age of participants was 76, was associated with to a doubling of the risk of developing dementia. Accidents and Deaths from All Causes Over the next four to five years, this data adds to the evidence that sleep is important for brain health and underscores the need for more research into the effectiveness of improving sleep and treatment of sleep disorders in relation to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and mortality.

The authors call for further study of the causal relationship between sleep, dementia and death. Study co-author Dr Stuart Cowan, Department of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, said: “Our study shows that very short periods of sleep and poor sleep in older people increase the risk of dementia and of premature death. There needs to be more focus on getting healthy sleep in the elderly. “

Source: medicalxpress



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