Most dementia risk factors are completely out of our control, such as age and genetics. But growing scientific evidence says there are steps people can take to mitigate the risk of developing the disease, which affects approximately 50 million people worldwide.
A comprehensive new study published this week in the journal Nature Communications points to a relatively simple prevention tactic: get enough high-quality sleep when you’re between 50 and 60 years old.
The study, which followed nearly 8,000 participants in the UK for 25 years, found that people who slept regularly for six hours or less in middle age were 30% more likely to develop dementia than those who they had seven hours or more per night.
How sleep can help decrease the risk of dementia
The new study is by no means the first to link the quantity and quality of sleep to dementia, but it is one of the largest to do so, according to Stephanie Stahl, a sleep disorder specialist at Indiana University Health. .
“We know that insufficient sleep or poor quality sleep increases the risk of dementia,” Stahl, who was not involved in the new research, told HuffPost. “It’s a large-scale study, so it definitely adds value to the evidence.”
Researchers are still discovering exactly how the sleep-dementia connection might be linked, but they have several theories in mind.
“During sleep, our brain is allowed to eliminate toxins and this includes beta-amyloid,” Stahl said. Beta-amyloid is a clustered brain protein that is often (though not always) a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Plus, our sleep is really important to consolidating our memories,” Stahl added. In addition, “sleep disruption causes inflammation and can cause clogged arteries, and this includes the arteries in the brain.”
Small changes that will help you sleep more
The researchers behind the new study point out that more research is needed before they (or any scientist) are able to recommend truly specific and powerful “windows of opportunity” for intervention when it comes to sleep and dementia. So it’s not like experts might say, “Sleep X hours a night for a number of X years and your risk will decrease by an X amount.”
But sleep doctors like Stahl say there really is no problem in pursuing a higher quality rest, even if additional research is established that there is no direct connection between lack of sleep and dementia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults ages 18 to 60 sleep seven or more hours a night; adults aged 61 to 64 should spend seven to nine hours; and those 65 and older should aim for seven or eight hours.
“Sleeping seven hours versus six hours of sleep may not seem like a big difference, but if you miss an hour every day, at the end of the week you miss seven hours (or a full day).”
“When it comes to improving sleep quality, there are many things that can be done. Avoiding alcohol is really important. Alcohol tends to cause sleep disorders and leads to a reduction in total sleep time, “Stahl said.” You also want to avoid caffeine for at least eight hours before bedtime. “He noted that both caffeine and l. Alcohol can reduce the amount of slow-wave restorative sleep they have throughout the night.
Another relatively simple (though not necessarily easy) change is to avoid electronics at night. Phone and laptop screens emit blue light, which can disturb sleep. If you can’t completely turn off your phone before going to bed, try adjusting the light to the settings, or use your phone to listen to meditations or sleep-inducing sounds.
You should also try to exercise regularly, Stahl said. Research shows that constant exercise in the morning or afternoon can significantly improve sleep quality. Exercise can also reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia by about 30%.
As is often the case with disease prevention, healthy changes can affect the body and mind in many different but connected ways.
It’s never too late to rest anymore
While the new study may be convincing for doctors and researchers looking to help their patients prevent dementia, it can also be a source of alarm for people 50, 60 and older who may not have been able to prioritize sleep before.
But experts like Stahl stressed that it is never too late to make changes and that sleep is cumulative.
“At any time, working to get proper sleep is one of the most important takeaways,” Stahl said.
Surveys suggest that less than half of Americans sleep the recommended amount each night.
“I always tell people that sleeping seven hours versus six hours of sleep may not seem like a big difference, but if you miss an hour every day, at the end of the week you have seven hours (or a full day) ‘short’ , Stahl said. “Throughout the year, there are now 52 days left to sleep.”