Sleeping poorly at the age of 30 or 40 can cause memory problems

(By Dennis Thompson – HealthDay News) – People so They sleep poorly between 30 and 40 years old It may be more likely to Develop memory and thinking problems A decade later, a new study warns.

Those who have more intermittent sleep Early puberty They were more likely to be infected with Poor mental performance When they were evaluated in mid-ageThe researchers found that people who slept better compared to those who slept better.

Meanwhile, researchers did not find any link between Total amount of sleep That people were asleep and Brain function In middle age.

“Our findings indicate that Quality rather than quantity Sleep is the most important thing for me Cognitive health in midlife“The researcher said Yu Lingassociate professor of psychiatry at University of Californiain San Francisco.

to study, ling Their collaborators recruited 526 people with an average age of 40, and followed them for 11 years.

First, participants wore an activity monitor on their wrist Three nights in a row To evaluate the duration and The quality of your sleep. They had this test twice, about a year apart, to get a fair assessment of their condition Sleep patterns.

The researchers focused specifically on Sleep fragmentationalso Short and frequent interruptions In a person's sleep, by tracking the times a person tosses and turns in bed for a minute or less during sleep.

Participants also completed a sleep diary, which about 46 percent reported Sleeping badly. A decade later, the researchers asked participants to complete tests that measured their intelligence Memory and your brain capacity.

The results showed that of the 175 people with the most disruptive sleep disorder, 44 performed poorly on tests 10 years later.

In comparison, only 10 of the 176 people who got the least amount of disrupted sleep did poorly Follow-up tests.

“More research is needed to evaluate the relationship between Sleep and cognitive disorders At different stages of life, determine whether there is Critical vital periods “Sleep is more strongly linked to cognition.” ling.

“Future studies could open new opportunities for Prevention of Alzheimer's disease Later in life.”

The researchers pointed out that the study is observational and cannot be proven Direct causal relationship between Sleep disturbance and cognitive decline.

The new study appears in the January 3 issue of the journal Neurology.

Source: American Academy of Neurology, press release, January 4, 2024

*Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporters © The New York Times 2023