Your chances of getting dementia are significantly higher if you suffer from a chronic lack of sleep, according to a new study
Turns out sleep is the magic spell that (somewhat) cures dementia.
A study, led by Diego Z. Carvalho, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA, draws a clear line between chronic insomnia and the more common quest for “perfect sleep".
It found that people with chronic insomnia face about a 40% higher likelihood of developing cognitive impairment or dementia, compared with those without the condition.
The study noted that 14% of the people with chronic insomnia developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia, as opposed to 10% of those who did not have the sleep disorder.
Among participants who had chronic insomnia, those who reported sleeping more than usual actually had fewer of these white matter spots. Even though they had insomnia, extra sleep seemed to protect their brain tissue, which researchers did not expect. White matter “spots” in the brain are small areas of damage in the brain’s white matter caused by tiny blood vessel problems, often called small vessel disease.
The study found that people with chronic insomnia didn’t do as well on memory and thinking tests, even after researchers accounted for things like age, blood pressure, use of sleep medications or sleep apnea.
Brain scans showed that those who felt they slept less had changes linked to Alzheimer’s and blood vessel problems in the brain.
People carrying the APOE ε4 gene, which raises the risk of Alzheimer’s, experienced even greater declines in memory and thinking.
Because of this, the researchers say that chronic insomnia might be something we can treat or improve to help lower the chances of future dementia or serious memory problems.