Poor Sleep in Your 40s May Age Your Brain Faster
- LEVEL 1
- LEVEL 2
- LEVEL 3
A new study says that not sleeping well in your 40s can make your brain older. This may affect how you feel in your late 50s. Scientists looked at how people in their 40s sleep and checked their brains 15 years later. They found that people who did not sleep well had brains that looked older.
To help your brain stay healthy, the study says it is important to sleep well. Some tips to sleep better are: go to bed at the same time every day, exercise, and avoid coffee or alcohol before bed. Relaxing before bed can also help.
People who had trouble sleeping for many years had older brains. These people had problems like waking up early, not staying asleep, or not feeling rested. The study shows that it is important to fix sleep problems early in life to keep your brain healthy.
Quiz
Reference: 23 October 2024, Neurology
Stock images by Unsplash
A recent study shows that sleeping poorly in your 40s could make your brain age faster. Scientists from UC San Francisco studied about 600 people aged around 40 years old. They filled out a questionnaire about their sleep habits at the start of the study and five years later. The participants were asked if they had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up early in the morning.
Fifteen years after the start of the study, the participants had brain scans. These scans helped scientists measure their brain age. The results showed that people who had poor sleep for several years had older brains compared to those who slept well. People with many sleep problems had brains that were 2.6 years older than those with no sleep issues.
The study also offered advice for better sleep, like maintaining a regular sleep schedule, exercising, and avoiding caffeine or alcohol before bed. Fixing sleep problems earlier in life could help preserve brain health as you age.
Quiz
Reference: 23 October 2024, Neurology
Stock images by Unsplash
A new study published in Neurology suggests that sleep disturbances in your 40s can accelerate brain aging. Conducted by researchers at UC San Francisco, the study followed nearly 600 adults in their 40s. Participants were asked to fill out sleep questionnaires about their habits, focusing on issues such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, and early morning awakenings. Five years later, they completed the same questionnaire, allowing researchers to track changes in their sleep patterns.
Fifteen years after the initial data collection, the participants underwent cranial scans, which provided insights into their brain health. The researchers found that individuals who experienced persistent sleep problems had significantly older brains compared to those who reported good sleep. Participants with poor sleep for at least five years had brains that appeared 2.6 years older than those with fewer or no sleep issues.
The study’s author, Dr. Kristine Yaffe, emphasized the importance of addressing sleep problems earlier in life to maintain brain health. Recommendations included maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, engaging in regular exercise, and avoiding substances like caffeine and alcohol before bed. These simple lifestyle changes could help preserve cognitive function and slow down brain aging.
Quiz
Reference: 23 October 2024, Neurology
Stock images by Unsplash
